


Dead by Daylight: Survivor Trials

by Tearfeather



Series: Dead By Daylight Trials [1]
Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Blood, Death, Emotional, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Inner Dialogue, POV First Person, POV Third Person, Pain, Panic, Survival, Suspense, Torment, some language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2018-11-23 10:20:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 31,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11400576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tearfeather/pseuds/Tearfeather
Summary: A series of trials that the characters have to deal with and an insight to their thoughts and feelings at times.Note-These are games I have played myself alone or with friend(s). I am writing it from the video I recorded, adding in things here and there of course. Enjoy!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing. I just like playing in this sandbox.

The broken-down storehouse in the middle stood as a reminder of what was once going on here. Now it is just a place for death. There was crates everywhere, barrels left behind from whatever was once happening. Somewhere in this abandoned location were four unwilling souls and one very tainted one looking for death and destruction under the calling something called the Entity. Among the ruins of the storehouse were other things to be found, namely trees left the witness the horrors that would soon come to pass. 

There was a shack that looked like it should have fallen by now instead of still standing. Heavily bricked walls kept everyone in this area, with two exit doors, without power, taunted those within. The large stack of logs near the storehouse looked like they could have been stacked recently and were waiting to be used. Hooks, ominous and deadly, were scattered around the area, a grim future if one were to get caught. 

Each survivor was left on their own, hoping to survive together but also ready to fend for themselves if the cost was too great. The goal was escape, whether together or alone. Together was risky but the rewards were great while being alone proved your mettle. Which would come to pass?

Two survivors, Claudette and Jake, had spoken a handful of times in between the torment they had to endure, both together and separately. Their survival was dependent on how skilled their killer was at the time, which thankfully seemed to vary. The reason was unknown. Either way, it was always best not to be caught and killed as a little piece of one’s soul seemed to fade each time. 

Jake found himself in this very storehouse, thankfully on the outskirts near some trees. Ruined walls, the remains of a possible building, blocked his way as he crept around. While moving carefully, he did spot two others, one of which he knew. He didn’t dare speak up though, just offering a little nod to Claudette who was working on a generator, their only way out besides death. Laurie was also working on the generator, her concentration not even wavering as she worked on the machine before her. Her bloodied clothing testament to the pain and death she had witnessed. Over the growing sounds of the machine, Claudette spoke to Jake.

“Where did you come from this time?” He asked in a harsh whisper. 

“Over there in the shack. I spotted Laurie when I stepped out of the building and we came here. Then you showed up.” Claudette answered, pointing briefly with her finger after she had managed a tricky part. She could hear that Jake and Laurie were also having those little skill checks, an added ‘bonus’ the Entity thought would be fun she guessed. The massive stack of logs that was on their side, blocking them from the rest of the horrid scenery, was as much a help as it was a hindrance. Jake had a barrel with fire burning within. Sometimes it was a wonder if they ever stopped burning or if it was because of the Entity it continued its defiance. There was always a need to see and not be seen so they could see death coming their way. Their placement was not ideal for this. The tall glass and eerie crates and saws made them all a little more on edge than was needed. The grass was a help but the rest… could mean death. 

When the generator fully roared to life, it was time to leave. Laurie took off on her own, likely feeling that she was safer now on her own than she was before. Or maybe she was just scared to lose someone else. It did happen but they always ended up back at the bonfire. Jake and Claudette took off in the direction Claudette had come from originally, back towards the shack. She hadn’t looked closely to see if the basement had been there. Maybe there was a little hope it hadn’t been. Keeping the massive shell of a building on their right, the pair skirted the wall behind trees, fragmented walls and tall grass, they were on the hunt for a second generator. The field of hooks and the obstacle course of pallets, crates, large spindles, and who knew what else did not look at them kindly. 

Locating a second generator, the pair quickly got to work. Without a sign of the killer that was hunting for them, anxiety was starting to set in. The 6 trees, eerie mist, and broken walls between them and the storehouse helped a little to block them. Nothing stopped the shriek of someone getting hit off in the distance. Who was it and where they going to make it? Did they have a chance to be saved or should they be sacrificed? These were always the questions that plagued the minds of those not yet under attack. As the Entity’s little games popped up while the generator was being worked on, both Jake and Claudette were careful to make sure they did not lose their momentum. Without meaning to, Claudette’s hand slipped and the generator sparked and made a loud popping sound. She hissed under her breath and went back to work, hoping it didn’t damage things too badly. Jake said nothing but there was a distinct increase in panic around them both. 

“Almost…. Done.” Claudette murmured under her breath as the generator kicked to life and the light above shone down on them. Jake slipped out of the remains of a window nearby, Claudette following as quickly and quietly behind him as she could. They worked well together so this might be helpful. This was the second one so perhaps there was hope. Skirting the edge once more, they were cautious. They had to move towards the storehouse and with it came more danger. Was the killer out there? Would they see it coming? As they moved, the sound of a trap being triggered had them pausing for a second before moving on. 

“It must be her.” Jake said over his shoulder as he was leading. Claudette nodded silently. ‘Her’ in this case meant the hag. A horrible, twisted woman who placed traps of some kind that allowed her to teleport if she was close. It rarely ended well for those who tripped one. She had a knack for being accurate and was short enough and dull enough in colors if was difficult to see her coming.

“Let’s hope we don’t run into her this time.” Claudette responded, keeping close as they spotted another generator. As Claudette glanced out into the mists, she could see the Hag melting into the ground, a sign she was going to reappear somewhere else quickly. Settling on the next generator, the pair got down to work. This was the second one and they still needed 3 more. Taking a breath, it was time to focus, not panic. The Hag didn’t know where they were, only someone else in the distance. Another shriek echoed and now it was clear that Laurie and Meg were injured. Hopefully not dying but they were too far off to properly tell. Claudette’s gut feeling said they were ok for now. Everyone she knew had learned how to heal themselves, from her. Claudette’s mind wandered and she lost progress on then machine before them. 

“Sorry.” She hissed, getting back to work to make up for the damage she had caused She was never this nervous and on edge. “I’ll take a hit if she comes over her.” She said with determination. It was her fault after all. Jake was just fine. He seemed like he was going to argue but instead he just nodded with a quiet “Ok.” As they finished their 3rd generator, they walked off into the mist and trees. Pausing as their hearts started to race, Claudette crouched down behind some rocks, trying to get a look at the killer while Jake found a hiding spot behind a nearby tree, also cautiously looking for the killer. 

Another trial, another possible death. Shaking it off, Claudette and Jake carried on. As they walked, she accidentally cut him off and she smiled an apology to him. He didn’t seem to mind. As the machine started to come to life as it was being fixed, the telltale sound of a victim on one of those deadly hooks was heard. Another scream. That one was painful. The sound startled Claudette, causing her to miss yet another vital check on the system. She was beginning to think she should let Jake handle it. 

“I should not be allowed to work on generators anymore.” She grumbled, wiping her hands off on her dirty jeans and getting back to work. 

“It’s ok.” Jake quickly responded, knowing together they were better and faster than if he was working on it by himself. The pair discussed whether they should attempt to save their comrade, even if they hadn’t see her since the start of this mess. There was also the other survivor, who may try at a rescue. It was better in groups though. The scream was a good distance away and it would take time to get over there and by then, perhaps the Entity would have claimed her. A second failure on the same generator was disappointing and Claudette was upset with herself. There was another scream, which could have signaled a successful rescue or a failed on. Either way, the generator finally roared to life. Jake and Claudette, her leading this time, went off towards the sounds of death to try and be helpful. After all, one did not want to lose their humanity and only think of themselves in this trial. 

Dodging behind trees, stacks of crates, and large rocks, the pair inched closer to see what was going on. The hag had dragged someone off, perhaps into the basement which would make sure it was a struggle to save them. Jake spotted a chest and was on the path for it before he triggered a trap which made him rethink that plan. Claudette was considering going into the building after the sounds of pain to see if she could help. Darting forward, Claudette made a sharp right and ducked into some tall grass and behind a tree. The Hag was coming back. 

She continued to mark traps on the ground, not wanting her prey to escape as perhaps the last one did. As Claudette made a run for it, Meg was also doing the same. Traps triggered left and right as the pair ran down the ominous steps to the basement to get Laurie off the hook, literally. The Hag would be right behind them and it wouldn’t be fun. The Hag had lain traps all down the stairs, leading her straight to the survivors trying to leave the hellish place. Most didn’t survive the trip back up the stairs. Meg reached for Laurie and Claudette stood in defense as the Hag lashed out. Her claw-like nails sliced into her arm and stomach but the three women could run free of the basement. 

Meg and Laurie ran to the right and Claudette went on her own to the left. The Hag was on her heels but still she gave it her all to run. She tried to get away by running right around the remains of a tracker wheel but it didn’t work. The hag slashed at her, taking her down to the ground in the grass. After enjoying the taste of fresh blood, the Hag lifted Claudette up on her left shoulder, likely to take her to the basement they both had just left. Claudette struggled and thrashed around, not wanting to go back and certainly not going quietly. 

Jake had plundered a chest to find a flashlight. It would be useful against the Hag and her traps. He was however torn. Save his friend, who may already be close to death, or finish a generator to open the gates. It wasn’t an easy place to be in. It never was an easy choice. Choosing to work on a generator, he had to hope that Laurie and/or Meg would help Claudette get free, as she had tried to help them. In one of their talks, Claudette had mentioned to just work on the generators, wanting to in some small way, make sure Jake got out alive even if she didn’t make it. She hoped he would remember that and do it. 

The trip back down seemed far too quick for the little monster that was holding her. Claudette shrieked as the hook ripped into her shoulder yet again. Now she had a choice, wait for help or try to free herself. Her heart was still racing, perhaps the killer was still nearby. There was a trap at the base of the stairs and likely one leading up. This time, the Hag wasn’t playing games with any of them. As the moments ticked by, Claudette felt the Entity was coming for her. She had to try to get away. Just as she was going to make a try, the spider-like legs that had been coming into existence around her made their move. Now she was in a fight for survival from those piercing tips that would end her life and send her to the campfire to try again. 

Hope was fading as Claudette’s strength began to fade. Laurie raced down the stairs and used her strength to get Claudette down. Running for the stairs, they both knew they wouldn’t have a second chance. The traps that were placed were triggered and the illusion sprung to life, which was nearly as scary as the real thing. An error now would mean death as the Hag was hot on Claudette’s heels once more. Running around crates and trees wasn’t enough to get distance or slow the Hag. Another piercing attack struck and Claudette went down. She knew her fate was sealed unless she could get away.  
Jake had chosen to try and open the door. He had to make sure there was a way out, if Claudette needed one. It sometimes meant the difference if one went for a door while another was the hero. He waited anxiously for the door to be fully powered and the metal doors to slide open. It was taking too long. He could hear the Hag coming closer, perhaps after someone. The scream he heard made him frown. Claudette had been freed and was running, until she was caught a second time. Perhaps there was hope. He would wait a little longer to find out. 

Laurie was trying to delay the Hag, make more time for Claudette to wiggle her way free. The blond was a tough one, trying to save others and taking injuries in the process. She was struck again and backed off briefly, considering her next move. Jake turned up with his flashlight, trying to blind the hag and make her drop the woman one her shoulder. It was unsuccessful. 

“Wiggle!” He called out in vain to Claudette who was using all her strength to do just that. The hook sliced through her shoulder a second time and without missing a beat, the Entity snatched her away, giving no one even a hint of a chance to get her back. Jake turned away as this happened, helping to bandage up Laurie’s wounds before they took off. Meg soon joined them to flee towards the open door. Meg, whose own wounds were bandaged, took another hit as Laurie finished wrapping up her wounds. Jake stood with them to make sure they could at least make it out, even if Claudette didn’t. Meg raced through the open doors which would lead right back to the campfire. Laurie had her own agenda and slipped off just shy of the exit. Her curiosity got her struck once more before she fled off into the mists that would lead her to the campfire. Jake, unsure what her plan was, was not going to stay and wait. He too fled through the exit to the relative safety of the campfire, his flashlight in hand.  
When the mists cleared and the campfire was in sight, Claudette was laying by the fire. Her wounds were healed but it was never the same. There was always that lingering pain, that lingering fear of death that could happen again at any moment. Each trial was a chance to learn and get stronger, or die and possibly get weaker. Shaking it off, she would wait on her friends to come back, enjoy the brief time they had, and give it their all when their time came again.


	2. Chapter 2

It was time for another trial. Something that wasn’t looked forward to at all by those who were forced to participate. Perhaps the killers enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, but those trying to live did not enjoy the heart-pounding fear that was inflicted on them each trial. 

For Dwight, it wasn’t much better. Found alone in the trial, he surveyed his area. There was an unpowered exit door behind him, a large rock, some sparse trees, a hook, and a fainting glowing gas station light in the distance. He could only imagine what horror was going to come from the mist that was blowing around the area, making the stacked cars look like an eerie statue someone had tried to make. Or maybe it was a trap to lure victims into an endless loop or dead end. Spying a chest, he moved forward to open it as quickly and quietly as possible to see whatever might be inside. Maybe it would be his key to survival. 

Jake found himself near the dimly lite gas station. Looking around with caution, he wasn’t sure what he would find. Maybe a generator? Another survivor? A friend? The killer? He had to be careful to see what was around that old building. In the distance, he could hear the sounds of a chainsaw. That meant the Hill-Billy was prowling around looking for a victim to sate his bloodthirsty desire. Seeing the signs of the basement, he paused with a shudder but knew there was always a chest down there. The Entity must have had a sense of humor to always make a reward at the bottom, if one dared to head down those stairs, by choice. 

As Dwight finished looking in the chest, and removed a tool box which looked of decent quality, Claudette raced by with the Hill-Billy hot on her heels. Moving quickly, Dwight took off around a rock, trying to evade death that was far too close for comfort. A short chase around the rock lead to Dwight taking a hit, allowing Claudette, he assumed, to flee to safety. Injured, he moved around a second rock, trying to think quickly of his options. He didn’t think fast enough and was slammed a second time with the sledgehammer. Hitting the ground, Dwight found himself carried and those he struggled, he soon felt the pain of the hook going through his shoulder. 

Jake found a toolbox in the basement, which had seen better days. It might help a little though so he took it with him. As he ventured out of the basement, he could see his friend on the hook. Summoning up his courage, he slowly made his way closer to Dwight. Surviving together was always a better option than going it alone. As Claudette tried to get a generator working, the killer managed to get close enough to chase her. She ran but it wasn’t enough. He landed a single hit on her which sent her into a panic. Jake crept closer, looking for the best time to save Dwight. 

Dwight took a chance to try and free himself as hope dwindled by the second. The attempt failed and he found himself holding back the Entity’s spider-like claws. It wasn’t ever something that was wanted but he had to try as it didn’t appear anyone was going to be able to save him, or perhaps they didn’t want to. As the Hill-Billy changed direction upon seeing Jake, the survivor was able to briefly stun the killer with a pallet and get some distance. Claudette made some noise to draw his attention which was good and bad. Maybe at least Jake and the others would survive. As almost all strength left Dwight, Jake managed to get him from the hook. Relief flooded his body and he gave a little nod to his friend. 

Jake went right and Dwight went left. Neither were safe however as the Hill-Billy quickly came back and took down Jake. Dwight, panting from the pain, hid behind a pallet. When he dropped it however, he found the killer moving around the side. There was only a broken down car between them. As Dwight went back over the boards, he was caught. A quick change of direction did nothing to stop the pain from slamming into him and him into the ground. As the pallet was destroyed, Dwight used his remaining strength to crawl. He didn’t make it far. With little in the way of strength left, he struggled as best he could, feeling a small amount of hope in his escape, before the searing pain of the hook and death sealed his fate once again. 

Claudette managed to heal Jake enough to get him back on his feet. It would have to do as the sounds of death took over the area briefly as Dwight was sacrificed to the Entity. Jake, now firmly back on his feet, took off away from the gas station. Seeing a second chest, he opened it. Perhaps something better than a broken down tool box. To his surprise, there was a very nice medkit inside. Taking that and leaving the tool box, he went around the highly stacked cars to a small grove of trees. Hearing a generator trying to come to life, he weaved around the trees and glanced at a hook as he passed to help Claudette on the machine. Two would make it quicker work, as long as they werent found. 

It was quickly finished and Jake took off towards the left. Seeing a door, it was almost like it was mocking him. Dwight had died and yet the others were still alive. He had to focus on that alone. Moving around trees and stacked cars, he was looking for totems or generators. The Hill-Billy had been quiet, which was more frightening than if he was heard with his chainsaw. A finished generator, more cars, the shack. The basement hadn’t been there so Jake felt safe enough to approach the building. There was a generator inside, started already but abandoned at some point. 

There was a scream in the distance. Claudette. She had gone down or was on a hook. Maybe both. Shaking his head, Jake was determined to finish this generator. Once he did, he moved and slipped out the window as he felt his heart start to race. Was the killer coming close? As the loud steps hit the wooden floor, Jake took off running in the direction of the scream. If she was on a hook, he would be able to help. Or try anyway. The Hill-Billy was behind him but that didn’t mean much. It was almost worse to have him behind with that chainsaw. 

Running past the stacks of tires and the broken down bus, he weaved around a tree and managed to get Claudette off the hook. They exchanged a brief look before going their own ways. Jake heard the chainsaw coming and moved though put himself into a corner surrounded by crushed cars stacked 3 high that he was unable to do anything about. It wasn’t a corner as he feared and he weaved around the cars and tires to get some space from the place he had just saved Claudette from. Hiding behind a rock, Claudette yelped. She was hit again and likely would be on a hook shortly. She had been struggling when Jake saved her so he knew that meant she was going to be dead the moment she was on that hook. 

Meg was running toward her to help but seemed to come to the same understanding and turned around and left. Jake went to a generator nearby that was nearly running. Meg was gone however but he couldn’t think of that. If he was right, they still needed 2 more generators to run before the doors would have enough power. With sweating palms, he got to work. With a steady feeling of panic, Jake left the generator for a moment, hearing someone close. Meg maybe? The generator would work better for two people. He took a chance and went back, only to leave again soon after. He had been seen. Running as quickly as he could, Jake was going to have to run around cars and tires, tall grass and hope to see a pallet he could use for some distance. 

The Hill-Billy missed several times in trying to hit Jake this time, which only made him more frustrated. His actions got a little more aggressive as he wanted to get the survivor and prevent them from leaving. Lunging, he was able to get Jake, causing the man to run off into another direction. Hope was fading for the survivor and he couldn’t even call out for help. He didn’t want to risk getting Meg caught either if she happen to be close. A second blow landed and Jake tripped over himself before hitting the ground. Struggling, he was soon ‘friends’ with a hook. The pain was almost numbing by this point, as he had felt it enough by now. Struggling to get down by himself, he was just about to face the Entity’s grasp when Meg managed to circle around and free him. It didn’t help. Jake soon found himself dropped on the hook again and the embrace of the Entity ‘cradling’ him to take him back to the campfire. 

Meg did her best to run around and find the hatch. She had to try and escape. It wouldn’t seem fair, however she had done what she could for those fellow survivors. She had worked on generators and saved those from hooks. She had even healed herself to get back up in order to help someone else. Whether she survived or not, was unknown to Dwight and Jake. Dwight was sitting by the campfire, almost in a daze. Would he ever survive? It didn’t seem like it. Lifting a hand, he felt his shoulder. Of course there wa sno physical mark of the pain, even his clothing looked in tact. When Jake turned up next to him, and didn’t want out of the mist, Dwight sighed.

“Better luck next time my friend.” He murmured, looking back into the fires as Jake shook himself off.


	3. Chapter 3

Dwight Fairfield POV 

Darkness. It was always dark before the light however this darkness was heavy. Another trial. Before I even opened my eyes, I could smell the hay. This meant the farm. I didn’t mind it as much as some of the locations we were forced to survive on. Opening my eyes, I found myself facing the big red barn. There was always a generator inside of it and the killer knew that too. Shaking it off, I started around the building. I spotted Meg in the near distance, which was a relief. We had spoken a few times, mostly around the campfire. There was too much going on to talk during one of these trials. 

She went into the building and so did I, though through a different entrance. Mindful of what could be around the corner, we startled each other when we met at the generator. Getting to work, we were quiet. The silence, with the sound of the machine under our hands trying to come to life, was oddly comfortable. I wanted to believe we were going to make it through this. Glancing around, I could see a window near where I had come from. Just as I did, a check popped up on the generator. I managed to not blow it up which was a help. I’m sure she was suffering from the same as I was. When the generator was done, I went out the back and Meg disappeared from my view. 

As it turned out, we met again in the same place near the front of it. It would figure. Walking close to the rock hill nearby, I kept her in my line of sight. She was bolder, walking through the rows of corn for a totem. I considered standing with her, power in numbers, but the generator was calling to me. I walked through the grass, past a hook and behind a tree. Looking around, I heard someone cry out in the distance. The killer found someone. I didn’t want to know who it was. Not knowing was easier than knowing it was someone you cared about. I got to work on the generator. I assumed Meg would join me. She never did. 

This generator was easier than the last one. Maybe it was because I was more confident in the checks that sprang up just when you thought it was safe. Maybe it was the fact that I didn’t have anyone else to worry about now. My mind began to wander. Who was the killer? I didn’t hear a chainsaw of the hillbilly or the shrieking of the nurse. The only screaming had been when someone was taken down, I assumed, so that ruled out the doctor. Maybe it was the hag? Or even the trapper. But I hadn’t seen a trap yet. Giving a quick look around, I hadn’t seen any traps. The Shape was always a possibility. His silence was more terrifying than knowing he was hunting you. The sudden, unpredictable nature of him was worrisome. There were no bells either, but that didn’t mean much. Who did that leave? I wasn’t sure. I needed to focus. 

A generator roared to life on my right, letting me know at least one other person was still alive. Meg perhaps? I could only hope. I had yet to see anyone else but I knew a male was around. That cry earlier told me that. Finishing the generator as quickly as possible, I walked back the way I had come from. The barn was completed but I noticed the glittering lights of another generator on my left. Hope was slowly building. I didn’t want it to run away with me. That made people more prone to make mistakes. We couldn’t afford too many of those and sometimes, not at all if the killer was ruthless.   
As I walked, I heard another scream in the distance. The same voice. The same male. This meant that was the second time he was attacked and possibly hooked. I wasn’t going to go over there. Too many times had I gone to help and I ended up on the hook. This time, I was going to be selfish. It was almost as bad as being hooked. Shaking it off, I heard yet another generator. That made four and the one I was working on had to be close to being done. Hope was rising again. I had no idea where a door might be as I had yet to come across one. Then again, I had yet to leave the same side of the area I was in. as it roared to life under my hands, hope flared. I boldly took off into the grass, past a hook. Freedom was so close and a door had briefly been shown in this direction. 

“No!” I yelled in my head as my right foot found a bear trap. That meant the trapper! I had to hurry to get free. Forcing the trap open wasn’t easy, especially alone but I had to assume that there was no one coming to help me. Only death. As the trap gave way, I cried in pain and relief. Limping now, I noticed the hatch on my left. That was another way to get out of this place at least. Struggling over behind some rocks, I had to tend to my wound. I wouldn’t be able to outrun anyone for long this way. 

Somewhere in the distance I had heard a cry and now I heard it louder. Someone was hooked. This one sounded female. Could have been Meg or it could have been any of the other women. Bandaging myself wasn’t as hard as I thought it might be with my shaking hands. I felt better once it was tended as good as it was going to be. Choosing to stay near the hatch was a bold move and yet, I wasn’t sure if I should attempt to save the woman on the hook. I didn’t even know if anyone else was dead. As I fought with myself on what was right and wrong, the hatch popped open. Reality hit then, that meant either everyone was out and alive, or everyone else had died. Regardless, the inky mist that seeped from it was my salvation for now and I took it. 

Back at the campfire, the glares I was getting from Bill, Claudette and Meg told me who else had been in my recent trial. I couldn’t say anything in my defense. I was the coward this time. Too scared to save my friends and too selfish. Next time had to be different. I couldn’t keep going on like this. Dead or alive, each trial took a small piece of what made us who we are.


	4. Chapter 4

Another day, another trial. When was this hell going to end? Not likely soon. The thick mist in the area only added to the musty smell in the air. The swamp was a horrible place, filled with the remains of reeds, a tug boat, a large steam boat, and crates that likely once held cargo. The Entity had a twisted sense of humor as the area was filled with decay. Moss covered rocks littered the ground and opened pathways and blocked others. Hooks were scattered around as well as generators. Two docks stood in the distance, a grim reminder that this was once filled with water and the horrors it had hidden were now visible to all who dared venture here, or those who were tossed here.

As ready as she ever would be, Claudette found herself in the swamp. This was the last place she liked to be. Looking around, she could see a hook immediately to her left. A possible foreshadowing to her future. Pushing those thoughts away, she took off towards the boat that would be the biggest target, but perhaps have the larger reward in the end. 

Jake took his time in finding what he wanted to do. In the process of trying not to get stuck in the mud, he saw Bill not too far from him. Dwight wasn’t far from them. Perhaps he didn’t want to help others, or perhaps he hadn’t seen them. Either way, Dwight continued his own way, leaving the pair to work on the generator together. There was always some panic as the generator started to hum to life. Would the killer hear it? Would they be found? Survival was key in all this. Helping each other was nice, but ultimately, one had to determine if it was worth their life to help someone else. 

Claudette ran up the stairs on the boat, the old boards creaking under her weight. She found a generator at the top and began working on it. From here, she could see a good portion of the area, though the thick mist prevented a clear view. The old area smelled horrible and looked even worse. The place time forget in a way. Considering her options, she paused work on the generator to see if there happened to be a chest on the top side of the old boat. Sure enough, there was one. As her heart started to race, she pushed back the lid and searched the contents inside. She was almost done searching it when a dark shadow clouded over her. Searing pain ripped through her as she was slashed with a knife. Darting around the Shape, she dropped down a hole in the floorboards and hit the ground running. She went around the outside of the boat, keeping low and hidden in the tall reeds. Feeling it was safe, and knowing she wasn’t followed, she bandaged herself. 

Always alert and cautious, Jake looked around as he worked on the generator. There was some level of security since there was no sign of the killer. Then again, that could be just as deadly. Some of them could not be heard coming after all. trying to focus on the generator at hand, he looked to Bill, who was hard at work on the machine. Neither spoke. The tension was almost tangible as they continued forward. Jake was waiting on those dreaded random checks that the Entity found so entertaining to throw their way. When none continued to come, he had to pause to wipe his hands off on his dirty pants. He had to be ready in the event they came without warning. Just as the generator finished, he thought he heard something nearby. Moving quickly, he saw Dwight and both Bill and Jake started to work on that generator. 

Looking through the reeds, Claudette continued to wrap her wounds. She couldn’t help the occasional moan of pain as she worked. Hoping to not be found, she could hear a slight sound of a generator. Was it the one on the boat she was working on or another one? She wasn’t sure. Since she did hear the loud sound of one coming to life, maybe the others out here with her were busy trying to get the machines working. In the length of time it took her to heal herself back to a point she could move without too much pain, another loud sound triggered.

“A second generator? Already?” She was surprised by this as she hadn’t seen anyone else. They must have been working together which was a relief. Maybe her friends would be ok this time. Standing upright once more, she could see the Shape walk off in the direction of the recently completed generator. Taking this chance, she went back on the boat to try and finish that generator but first she finished looking in that chest. A key was the only useable thing inside, which she took. Now, the generator needed to be worked on. 

Jake and Dwight went off in the same direction, the first following the second for now. Jake stopped to hide behind a tree. Hidden as he was, he couldn’t see much of anything. He wasn’t panicked by a noise, but rather by the silence. He was sure he could hear others running away. Did that mean the killer had found them? Adjusting his direction, Jake started off towards the boat, the location the killer might have come from. It was very risky, but being alone was even worse. Surely someone was up there.

Keeping quiet, Jake worked his way around. He noticed movement and paused. It was the killer! Taking his time, he walked around the trees, keeping an eye on the killer. So far, he hadn’t been seen but the killer was on the alert. He was on the hunt for someone and it seemed like he knew there was someone close. Was the Entity whispering to him? Jake hoped not. Just as he thought he was in the clear, he was spotted. Running as fast as he could, he was at the boat in seconds. He could hear the generator trying to come to life which meant he had just brought the killer to someone. 

Claudette glanced over her shoulder, seeing Jake run by with the killer on his heels. Continuing to work on the wires before her, she tried to see if Jake got away or if she was going to have to run a second time. The sounds of running feet on wood stopped so she had to assume he was back in the mud. Or he was caught. There was no scream though. “I hope he made it.” She murmured to herself. 

Jake managed to elude the killer in the mess that was the middle of the swamp. He wasn’t sure how he did so, as the killer wasn’t usually that easy to avoid. Spotted a second time, Jake threw a pallet in his way and waited. The killer took a moment to break it, giving Jake a chance to run again. The boat horn sounded long and loud, signaling whoever was on the boat finished that generator. With the killer briefly distracted, Jake hid. Trying to calm his racing heart and rapid breathing, he waited. 

Claudette jumped from the second level of the boat. Not by choice as she had forgotten the stairs were gone on that side. Grunting as she landed, she kept moving to get away. A sharp right kept her close to the boat and she located a second generator. That was three now that were done and she was feeling more hopeful. As she worked on it, she was startled by Bill when he came over. Her hands slipped and the generator blew up. Cursing under her breath, she moved behind the tree, knowing without fail that it would be checked soon. Bill took off, not that Claudette blamed him. 

Jake had observed the killer looking at a hook, possibly considering the joy he would have placing someone on it, before heading towards the boat. Within moments of the explosion that was heard, Jake knew that the killer would be over there. Another generator sounded. Dwight! Jake had almost forgotten about him as he had seen so little of the man. At least someone could get the machines up and running. 

Claudette, in her hiding place, was found. The Shape missed swinging at her, clipping the tree instead. Running, she darted around the tree and past the generator. She heard him swing and miss a second time as she took a hard left between a rock and a tree. There was a pallet there, which could give her a little chance if she stunned the killer. As she passed it, she twisted to the right and dropped the pallet. The startled groan from the killer let her know he had been right behind her and was hit with the pallet. Running towards the ever-present brick wall, she stopped behind a tree. There was a generator present and a log on its side. Also, a totem which, while not active, should not be there anyway. Without hearing the killer after he broke down the pallet, she didn’t know if he was still following her or if he gave up. Kneeling, she worked on the totem. It was unpleasant to break it down, but it needed to be done. She was wrong. The killer turned up moments later to the generator, leaving Claudette to stop her actions on the totem and hide behind the fallen log. She was unnoticed and safe, for now. 

Jake located a chest in his search for another generator to work on. If he was right, they only needed one more. There was hope! Searching the contents of the chest revealed a toolbox. Spying a generator, he got to work. Movement caught his eye for a moment. It was Dwight in the distance. Perhaps he was working on a generator or looking for one. The Entity was done playing games and being nice to Jake as he was plagued with those skill checks. As he worked and the machine got louder, her almost missed the telltale sounds of the killer’s approach. In his panic, he lost sight of the killer. Not sure what was going on, he heard the last generator spring to life. Hoped well up inside of him as he made a run for the door he briefly saw in the distance. 

Bill and Claudette finished the last generator together. She ran for the closet door, Bill on her heels. While she was working on the powering up the door for it to open, he hid off to the side and waited. One could never be too careful, even this close to freedom. Dwight was nowhere to be seen and Jake was still missing. Claudette wondered if there was a chance they all four could escape this hell. As the door rolled open, Claudette and Bill darted inside. While this wasn’t safety, it was closer and with a better chance than if they continued to stand outside of it. 

“Come on.” Claudette whispered to herself as she looked towards the door from the safety of the brick she was hiding behind. Bill was on the other side doing the same thing. Moving away from it to stand in the doorway, she waited. Jake came barreling towards her, toolbox in hand. Had he started with that? As they shared a small smile, and Bill stepped out from hiding, Dwight ran over to the open door. They all had made it! Relief was felt by all the survivors. Without waiting another moment, the four of them ran through the mist towards the campfire. This was a true victory for all and they could rest easy, for a brief time knowing they were still whole. However, would their other friends fair as well?


	5. Chapter 5

The old hospital. No, that was incorrect. It wasn’t a hospital. The building had started out that way but the CIA had taken it over for their twisted needs. Now it was nothing but a shell of its former self, a dark reminder of the damage humans did to themselves. The broke down walls did nothing to shield the survivors from the ever-present darkness looming outside. The land had tried to reclaim it in places where the grass was coming up through the floor. Somehow, there was still power in places to the building, as the white noise on the TVs liked to remind those who passed them by. 

Meg stood in a corner, clutching the med kit close to her side. A long hallway to the left, with a hook much too close for comfort. A long hallway in front of her with scattered rooms in between. Corners were a little safer than some but the killer could be anywhere. Typically, there were more windows in this location to vault through than pallets to drop so she had to be mindful of those locations. She couldn’t waste them. Walking down the corridor and past a TV, she went left and left again into a room. There was a generator which she started to work on. So far, there had been no hint of a killer … or of a survivor. Silence was key and with how long and open some of the areas could be, it was best never to be seen or heard. 

Crouching to get to work, it lasted mere seconds before she felt the urge to leave. Quickly walking across the hallway, she stayed by the wall. A generator was hard enough to find in this place. She couldn’t risk getting lost. It wasn’t more than five seconds after she was hidden behind the wall across the hall that she heard the hissing of the nurse. She had blinked towards the sounds of the generator coming to life. Closing her eyes for a moment, Meg took this chance to calm her racing heart, which wasn’t easy. She didn’t run so the nurse wouldn’t have any idea which direction she went, or even if there was someone still in the area. 

Feeling it might be safe to return, she inched around the corner. The white blur of the nurse’s return stalled her and she ducked back behind the wall. The loud clang of the nurse’s saw hitting the generator covered the sound of Meg stepping on some debris where she was hiding. Keeping still and silent, she knelt to wait this out. She couldn’t move now. The nurse was hoping to catch someone and Meg was determined that it wouldn’t be her. 

Not able to find any trace of someone, the nurse broke the generator and went out the door. Meg peaked around the door, watching the nurse glide around the gurney and the cabinet in the middle of the hallway before heading off where she came from. Meg moved to the small corner by the door so she could see what was going on. As the nurse moved past the door, with a final look inside, a loud sound happened in the distance. Someone had started a generator. This caught the nurse’s immediate attention and she was off. 

Breathing a sigh of relief, Meg crept back across the hallway to the generator. She had to first repair the damage done and then get back to work. The shrill sound of the nurse always brought a chill to her as she worked. She couldn’t let it get to her. She had limited time before the nurse might come back. The sounds continued and it was likely someone was found. Without missing a beat, Meg powered through. At one point however, things seemed to take longer. Had the Entity, or the killer, brought a trick with them? Cursing to herself, she would have to keep it up and be extra careful now. This could mean anything but the common answer was someone got hurt. 

Over all the time they had been forced to handle these trials, little bits of information were gathered and collected. Talks were had by all the survivors and notes compared to create a more accurate picture. Just as they could bring their own skills, the killers could as well. The Entity also gifted extra things at times, offerings, that would be accepted and that would change the playing field. This was one of those times. Meg hated to admit it, though at times this was a help. For now, she had to gather what she could, return alive, and share what she learned. Each killer was different. 

As she worked on her thoughts and the generator, another one was heard flaring to life. Closing her eyes, she almost missed a check on the wires. A soft sound next to her drew her eye. Dwight! He looked horrible, covered in blood as he was. He was also injured. Giving up on the generator, she first helped to tend his wounds. That was more important. As she was helping, her hand slipped, causing him to cry out. Muttering an apology, she stopped and moved away. The nurse was coming back. She could feel it. 

Hiding around the corner, she hoped Dwight wasn’t upset with her. The shriek of the nurse signaled her arrival. She immediately came around the corner. Meg darted past her, however it was not quick enough. Pain shot through her as she ran as fast as she could, the nurse on her heels. This was not going to be as easy as the others could be. The nurse could glide through the walls and catch up very quickly to someone who was running. Meg had to play it smart. Running across the hall and through a small room, she doubled back immediately. The nurse, predictably, used her ability to blink through the wall. Meg tried to keep low and quiet, wanting to avoid the nurse once more. Trying to heal herself as best as she could, the nurse found her. Standing near a pallet, Meg dropped it and ran. The nurse, stunned briefly, was soon in pursuit. 

The nurse blinked, swung, and missed. The sound of her saw hitting the wall was much too close for Meg to like. Running around a small wall several times, Meg went through the center of the building and through a window. She could hear the nurse swing and miss a second time. Darting in and out of the small rooms, over windows and through doorways, Meg was back in the middle of the building. Perhaps not the best place to be, however the nurse and her powers had lost her somehow in the winding paths she had taken. As she ran, she spotted Claudette, toolbox in hand, running to another generator. Meg couldn’t even tell how many were done and how many were needed now. She was too worried about surviving. 

As her heart started to calm, Meg went back to healing herself. She hadn’t been able to help Dwight heal but she had taken the attention off the man. Claudette had been seen and Meg was almost sure she had turned around to run back the way she had come. There had been the sound of the nurse finding someone else. Perhaps it had been Claudette. Meg hoped not as she would feel bad. Healed herself, she was considering her game plan now when she heard running. Waiting, she was surprised to see Dwight come around the corner. How had he found her? It didn’t matter. 

Treating his wounds with shaking hands was hard enough the first time. This time, she couldn’t mess up. Just as she finished, they parted. The nurse was upon them a second time. Dwight went out the far end of the room and Meg took off out the direction the nurse had just come from. Would she notice? Hopefully not. Running down the hallway, Meg climbed carefully through a window as to not draw attention, or noise, to herself. 

Weaving down the hallways and through rooms, Meg found herself back at the generator she had started. It was now completed by someone. Perhaps Dwight had done it. Moving on, she heard someone crying in pain. Coming up on Claudette, Meg frowned. It had been her that was hit while she was running. Murmuring a soft apology, Meg waited. Claudette finished wrapping her wounds just at the same time as someone got another generator going. Hope shone in Claudette’s eyes and Meg turned to run after her. An exit sign was pointing them to the freedom they were seeking. Hiding behind a large green dumpster, Meg waited for Claudette to get the door working. Dwight was still around somewhere and the fourth, whoever it was. 

The nurse’s shrieks were some distance off however it was always expected for her to show up right behind someone. Claudette gave up on the door and went to work on a totem she had spotted. Not wanting to waste time, Meg moved over to open the door herself. They had to work together to survive. The door opened, allowing Meg and Claudette to enter. The nurse appeared someone later, slashing her saw down on Claudette. Dwight appeared moments later, motioned for Meg to come out of hiding and the tree of them ran for the exit, leaving the nurse behind and blocked by the Entity.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a gift for a friend who plays Dead By Daylight and streams it. I hope he enjoys this story, which includes two games I saw him play. Enjoy Daimien!

It was happening again. Another trial. Another attempt at a survival that didn’t hold any weight to it in the end. Feng had seen this time and time again. It was old news. There was no way out of this endless loop of death and despair. The Entity was having their fun in all this. With each ‘victory’, if it could be called that, the victor was gifted something special. That something special was…more trials more often. 

Feng had been in so many of them recently that her clothing was covered in blood. She couldn’t even tell what was hers anymore and what was from helping others. She was even sure some of it was wiped on her from the killer when he or she grabbed Feng. Either way, there was no true victory to be had. 

The swamp was the least favorite of Feng. She excelled in the hospital, preferred it even, to others she had been forced to run around on. Sighing, she looked around in the immediate area. Live or die. She was going to have to make choices often to determine what she was going to do. Playing the savior was painful and could end in her death. Playing the coward wasn’t for her either. 

The broken-down building was to her left and some rocks, hooks, tall weeds, and a lot of mud was all around her. Walking towards the building, she slipped through it within issue and continued out the other door. There was a hook and a chest. In the distance, she could see someone else walking away. Kneeling, she went to searching the chest. Maybe there would be something worth it to find. A decent med-kit was always welcome so she picked it up and walked away slowly. The dock was closer than she thought which was a good thing. Walking up, she looked around for a generator. Spying a hook, she kept going towards the generator. Jake was already working on it. Wiping her bloodied hands off on her already bloodied shorts, she knelt to get to work. 

Together, this would be a quick generator, if no one else showed up to stop them or hinder them. As they worked, there was something that spooked Jake. He walked off quietly though quickly. Feng stayed a little longer, rolling her eyes and thinking he was a fool for leaving when they were so close. Hearing the heavy foot-steps on the wooden boards, Feng crept away. She was seconds away from getting hit by the Hill-Billy’s weapon of choice. Dropping a pallet in front of him, Feng took off towards the end of the dock. Dropping off the end, she vaulted through a window. Weaving around the remains of the dock and structures nearby, she got a boost of energy to keep going. 

Veering off into the reeds, she crouched down to avoid detection. Letting her heart calm down for a few precious seconds, Feng adjusted her path to go towards the tug boat that was decaying nearby. Running over to it, she went up the little ramp and started to work on the generator there. She didn’t know where the killer was now or anyone else. She was happy that she had wiped off her hands as much as she could. It made it easier to master the Entity’s little checks that were given randomly. She failed one of the little tests and cursed under her breath. She was on her own and needed to be more careful. 

Much to her dislike, the Hill-Billy had heard her failure. Crouching behind the generator and the cabin of the tug boat, she was quiet. The killer went around the back of it and was about to leave when Feng’s weight was just enough to make the old wood creak. He turned sharply in her direction. Feng took off running towards the end of the boat. Just as she vaulted over it, his sledge hammer slammed into her shoulder. Crying out, she kept running, keeping her left arm close to her side. She had a death grip on the med-kit in her right hand. Her path took her back under the docks, in which she got stuck in the mud. Unable to move forward or backward, she was left to the mercy of the killer. He paused to look at her before moving around and taking her down into the mud with a hard hit of his weapon. With ease, he lifted her up onto his shoulder and went in search of a hook. She struggled as much as she could however there was a hook much too close for it do much good. 

Normally the killers would hook their prey and wander off in search of more. This time was different. He wouldn’t leave her out of his line of sight for long. Feng was sick of this. She cursed under her breath in a very far from lady-like manner. She could see two different survivors who were trying to help. With the Hill-Billy so close all the time, it was going to be risky, potentially deadly to the one who came to help. With his chainsaw up in the area and the engine roaring, the Hill-Billy walked right on by, keeping anyone who might help at bay. Feng continued to curse as she struggled against the pull of the Entity’s hold. She wasn’t going to go down like this! He had heard her obviously as he came back to stand a few feet from her face, looking at her. 

“… no wonder your parents didn’t love you and trapped you in the ***damn attic!” The Hill-Billy titled his head just a fraction and swung at her. She cried out in pain. “Leave me alone fucker!” He admired his weapon and then walked away to scan the area again. Feng watched him as much as she could though her strength was slowly decreasing the longer she had to fend off the spider-like claws. He walked back to her just as she was being rescued off the hook by Nea. The woman took the hit so Feng could run off up the dock and hopefully get away. 

Unfortunately, the Hill-Billy followed Feng instead of Nea. He chased her up the docks, down the side and through a window Feng vaulted through. Even after having a hook through her shoulder and physically fighting off the Entity’s grasp, she still had the strength to run for her life. The large boat in the distance might be her only saving grace. Running up the stairs as quickly as possible, she felt hope for a split second before the Hill-Billy’s hammer made contact. Slamming into the deck, she cursed. As the woman was lifted onto his shoulder, she struggled and fought as much as she could.

The string of curses that continued to flow freely from her mouth would have made the most seasoned sailor blush. As the boat slipped further into the distance, the generator that was on it sounded loudly. Someone had been there! This only made her more frustrated and upset. As she felt the hook a second time, she knew this was it. It was over. She lost. The Entity claimed her once again and all went black. 

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Death was not an escape. That was something that had rolled around in her mind a lot recently. She had seen fellow survivors come and go quickly. Keeping her distance as much as possible, she was on her own once again. The heavy mist of the trial made things difficult to see for both killer and survivor. It did favor the survivor a little more however. The broken buildings, a shadow of their former selves, stood around her as well as the large logs stacked and secured nearby. An exit door taunted her in the distance, begging to be opened. 

Turning around, she ran off towards one of the downed buildings. Crows flew away, announcing her presence if someone was listening. A locker passed her by as she saw her goal. A generator near a tree. Walking towards it now, she took her time to get to work on it. Claudette was already working on it. Two was always better than one. The dense trees, thick fog, and stacks of rocks made it difficult to see much of anything. There was a shack in the distance, which might have something good in it, shoulder the basement be located there. It could also spell death. The hook was broken, maybe Claudette had taken care of that before the generator. Good work if so. 

As the end came closer, Feng’s hands slipped. The generator exploded and Feng cursed under her breath. She was sure Claudette was doing the same. They had been so close. 

“Fuck me.” Feng hissed under her breath as she went back to work. Claudette, not wanting to risk it, took off. That sound would draw unwanted attention to that location. Nearly done, hope was building again. Keeping focused, she missed the obvious sounds of the killer coming. The hag, a gnarled looking woman with claws for hands and mud all over her body. She slashed at Feng, opening a wound on her as the woman took off. Vaulting a window, a second hit struck her. 

Landing face first on the ground, she couldn’t believe it. She was over the window and through it. The hag couldn’t have that long of reach! Crawling away as quickly as she could, she went around the broken wall and towards the log pile. Maybe the hag wouldn’t think to look there. Luck was not on her side as the hag skillfully came around the corner, dodged a tree, and found her. Picking her up, Feng struggled with all her might. As mangled as the hag’s body was, there was no denying the merciless strength in her small frame. 

“Cut your fingernails you cranky-ass bitch.” Feng snapped as she struggled. The hook, as reliable as ever, was closer than wanted. The hag knelt, creating several traps around Feng as she was on the hook. This was overkill. There was no way to know if someone was going to help until Feng could see them. Choosing to wait if possible, she just hung there patiently. The pain was bearable for now. The Entity was slowly being summoned but there was time. Claudette showed herself as she was coming towards Feng, crouched down low to hopefully avoid being seen and the traps on the ground. 

It took longer of course but Claudette did get her off the hook. Crouching immediately, Feng went towards the left. Claudette, triggering a trap, ran to the right. Running towards the big structure in the middle, Feng took the stairs two at a time without delay. Every survivor knew that a killer wouldn’t have the time to get their victim to a hook if they were taken down at the top. It was a little trick they had learned after a lot of trial and error. 

As she reached the last few stairs, a trap was triggered. The hag was there in seconds and Feng found herself slamming into the cold metal of the pathway in front of her. A single word echoed in her head as she grit her teeth against the fresh pain in her body. Struggling, the Entity was aiding the killer this match as a hook was on the ground floor of the building, a location that the hag was swift to take Feng too. The old metal building was a nightmare regardless of the reason for being there. The Entity, tired of waiting, rushed in to try and claim Feng. Struggling, Feng was going to do her best. The hag, in the meantime, set about trapping the woman a second time to ensure her prey stayed right there on the hook. Claudette rushed in to help again. A second chance to get off the hook and Feng took it. Running away, Claudette, once again, took a hit. She was caught by a second, taking her to the cold ground of the building. Feng went up the stairs, got startled by a trap and the hags illusion, and went back downstairs. 

Receiving another hit in the doorway, she slammed into the ground with a curse under her breath. Without missing a beat, the hag lifted her onto her shoulder. Struggling was pointless though she still tried. Claudette was helped to her feet by someone else by this time. The hag, ignoring them both, and Feng’s string of curses, dropped her back on the hook. The Entity swooped quickly and grabbed her, despite the protests Feng had.


	7. Chapter 7

The thick mist did nothing to stop the dread from coming over Nea. She looked around the area, knowing this could be her death. The building looming in the much too close distance was taunting her. There was always a treasure to be had there, however the basement, a place few returned from, could also be there. This was the McMillan estate in all its glory. She was sure it was a lovely place once upon a time when death was bleeding from every corner. The med kit in her hand was heavy as she tightened her grip on it. 

Undecided on which direction to go at first, she finally went left towards some trees and rocks. As she weaved her way around, she ran into Laurie. At least there was someone else still alive. The trial had just begun, but that didn’t stop the killer from finding someone right away. 

“Have you seen the killer?” Nea whispered as they crouched behind a rock. 

“Not yet. Haven’t even heard anyone else. Where are you going?” Laurie replied, looking around carefully. 

“I don’t know. I think there is a gen over here somewhere. You going to come?” Laurie nodded. Walking away from their location, Nea spotted a totem. She wanted to take care of that first. As she did, panic settled in briefly. Laurie took off the direction Nea had come from. Once the totem was gone, Nea went after Laurie. It was better in pairs for now, at least until they were found. Running after her was a bad idea, yet Nea still did it. She heard Laurie opening a chest inside the building. Shaking her head, the woman was on her own. Nea wasn’t going to go in there unless she had to. 

Going around the end of the building, there was another totem. Muttering to herself, Nea paused to handle this one as well. Anything to help. She heard Laurie run away. When she heard someone coming up behind her, Nea noticed it was Laurie. Apparently, the woman had gone out the side door, around the back and found Nea. Odd since there was nothing preventing her from coming down the long hallway to where Nea was currently. 

Heading after Laurie, Nea couldn’t see anything more than ten feet in front of her. This wasn’t good for her. It wasn’t good for the killer either. An exit door stood in the distance, a small glimmer of hope in the darkness. Nea almost missed a trap on the ground. Walking carefully over it, she was glad it wasn’t set yet. She also couldn’t break it. She would have to ask Jake to teach her how to do that next time they had a moment. 

Finding a generator in the corner, and no Laurie, Nea went to work. Maybe the woman had run off or been scared by something. Scared by something? Nea laughed to herself. Laurie’s own brother was one of those hunting them at times. She couldn’t be that scared. The woman was tough. Everyone had to be at this point. Choosing to leave this one for now, Nea continued following the wall. Sure enough, there was Laurie at another generator working on it. Together it would go much faster. 

Just as she passed a check, Nea heard a cry of pain in the distance. It sounded like Dwight and it sounded much closer than Nea would like it to be. Was he in the building? As she wondered this, she was starting to feel her heart race. They were close and that meant the basement was in that building. As the generator finished and the light came on, Nea took off running. Laurie went the other way and the killer came straight to them. Nea stopped running, not hearing his loud steps behind her. He must have gone after Laurie. Ducking down behind some crates and large spools, she heard his blade connecting with flesh. Laurie must have been hit. 

With Laurie keeping him busy, and a second generator being completed, Nea went for the basement. She ran into Laurie along the way. Sneaking into the basement, Nea found out it wasn’t Dwight but Jake that had been hung. Getting him down, she lead the way out of the basement. While she had been working on the generator, it felt like it was slower and harder than normal. Was there a totem active? It was very possible. Running outside, Nea waited behind a rock. 

Jake came over and with a little time, Nea could treat his wounds. As she did, there was scream in the distance. Someone else was on a hook. It was a moment after they had recovered that the killer found them. The trapper was wearing a terrifying mask with what looked like antlers on it. Nea darted past Jake. Going two different directions usually worked, however not this time. The trapper clipped Nea as she ran towards the completed generator. Racing towards a pallet to slide over and create some distance, she didn’t make it. A second strike sent her into the ground, right before the pallet. It was insulting. She was better than this. 

The trapper left her there however and continued to chase down Jake. Crawling away, Nea was trying to recover her strength to get up. She could hear Jake running around and his own cry of pain when he was struck. She could see only a little of them running around but this trapper was after them. He was out for blood and he would indeed get it. Hope was starting to diminish. As the trapper came close to her once more, he walked right past her. Had he missed her in the grass? Nea didn’t think so. He was using her as bait and would stay in the area.

Feeling defeated and weak because of her current state, Nea could only wait. As she did, Laurie ran over to her. Hope was briefly rekindled as Nea could find her feet with the help of a fellow survivor. She didn’t dare say friend. A female voice cried out in the distance. Someone else, perhaps Claudette, was caught now. This trapper was frighteningly accurate. A shriek let Nea know a hook had been used. Crouching down, she waited for the trapper to pass before running in the direction of the one on the hook. She was unable to help her down as Laurie, or Jake, beat her to it. Running around the edge of the map, she had to be careful. 

Jake’s cry let her know that he was downed a second time and found his fate on a hook. Claudette was hunched over a totem that was glowing. Nea smiled to herself. She had been right that a totem was involved. Crouching nearby, she waited on the totem to be destroyed. Claudette might need a little more time and Nea was willing to buy that for her. The trapper came back and Claudette ran away. Nea couldn’t believe she would just run away. They needed this totem gone! Staying hidden, when he passed she went to work on the totem. 

He must have heard as he came straight back to her. Feeling confident in her ability to stun him and run, she waited by a pallet. She was unable to hit him fast enough. One single strike and she was down. This wasn’t right. Then she realized that he had help. No one was going to live through this. Panic settled into her bones. As he lifted her up onto his shoulder, she struggled. His grip wasn’t as strong as it could have been, which was a small saving grace. Fighting as hard as she could, she was moved and then dropped right on a hook. Crying out in pain as it cut into her shoulder, she hung there.

A shout in the distance meant Jake had gone down again. If he was hooked now, he might be dead. Nea wasn’t sure if she was going to make it off the hook when Laurie appeared. She was saved. Being healed as best as they could, the pair took off around the large stack of wood. Nea wasn’t sure who was being followed but that totem was on her mind. She had to find it again. It was very important. No doubt the trapper would be staying close to its location to protect it. Racing back, Nea went to work on it. Sure enough, the trapper returned to protect it. Slamming the pallet down on him, she kept running. There was no saving her this time. A hit took to her to the ground. Maybe he would leave her there. He hadn’t picked her up. A chill ran down her spine as his foot came to rest on her lower back.   
Holding her in place, the trapper slashed at her back repeatedly until she was dead. 

There would be no sacrifice to the Entity this time. 

He had earned the right to murder by his own hand. 

Back at the campfire, Nea was quiet. Hope was fading each time she failed a trial. Still, she had some hope that her fellow survivors would escape. Jake was sitting with her, a disappointed look on his face. How long would they be forced to endure this? Whatever the length, they would have to start working as a team to survive.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another story for my friend Daimien. For some reason, he liked the last one. Weird... anyway, enjoy!

The swamp. A grimy, disgusting place where death was a commonplace occurrence. Now? It wasn’t so different. It was still the sight of death, just of another sort. Feng had little luck in this area but each time was a new experience and a new chance to be victorious. Would the risks outweigh the rewards? Would being a team player get her killed?

Feng always hated those questions and here she was again, asking herself though questions as she looked around the swamp. Claudette was nearby, a good or bad sign she wasn’t sure yet. The ladies had started near the large boat. Now that was always a risk well taken. Every killer knew that boat and so did the survivors. It would be an alarm of sorts to someone working on. If the crows didn’t give away the position of someone there, the loud horn when the generator was done certainly would. 

Claudette and Feng walked towards the left together but Feng, after walking around a tree, went towards the boat. Let’s be honest, it is a ship really. It was large enough for one. Trying not to stick in the mud, she approached the side to see about getting on and up to the generator. Keeping quiet wasn’t helpful as the crows all took off, announcing that there was someone close enough to startle them. They didn’t look like any ordinary crows and Feng suspected they worked for the Entity. 

Once on the ship, she could see the stairs were intact. Walking past the barrels, she went upstairs. Halfway up the stairs, she heard a loud shriek. The Nurse. She was essentially a ghost but her aim and desire for blood was only matched by the Entity’s desire for death. Hopefully, she wouldn’t come towards the boat. Feng took note of the exits while she was up there before she went for a chest that was in the bridge. The hole in the floor would be a quick exit if needed. However, the Nurse could teleport to a location within reason. Would Feng be fast enough? She could only hope. 

Searching the chest proved fruitful this time. A nicer med-kit was the only useful thing found. Not that Feng was going to complain. It would make healing herself, or someone else, much easier. Feng felt like the nurse was getting closer so she paused to take her time in exiting the bridge. Moving towards the generator, she knelt to get to work. That eerie feeling was growing but she pushed it aside. The generators were more important than fear at this point. Fear they all had in spade but bravery? That was much less common. 

The Entity was testing Feng’s ability to remain focused over and over. Feng, so far, hadn’t failed. When the feeling grew too strong, she took off running towards the back of the ship. The Nurse was quick but there was a hope that Feng could be faster when the moment called for it. Towards the back of the ship, Feng could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Still, there was no sign of her. Movement to her right caused her to look and there stood the Nurse. Hung was more like it as the ghostly woman appeared long dead. 

Dropping a pellet, Feng raced down the other side of the ship. The Nurse, spotting her prey, was going to span the distance with a quick blink. She miscalculated and ended up off the side of the ship. Feng took this small victory and hid in the bridge once more. The Nurse was still far too close as Feng crept out of her safety area. Walking back towards the back of the ship proved nearly fatal as the Nurse was right behind her. When had she arrived again?!

The Nurse’s bone saw slashed through the air, striking Feng as she went over the pallet quickly. Crying out, Feng bit back the pain as she bolted off the ship. The Nurse was teleporting behind her, not about to give up the prey she had discovered. Running a short distance from the ship, Feng hid behind some fallen trees. The Nurse, giving up on her prey for now, glided back on the ship to destroy the generator. From the top of the ship, she could get a view of the area somewhat and be able to spot her prey, perhaps. Feng took this chance to bandage herself up, watching the Nurse float around on the ship as she did that. Without warning, the Nurse turned and teleported straight at Feng. 

Running away, Feng knew the Nurse could sense that she was trying to heal. That was a very terrible thing. The screaming banshee on her heels only fueled Feng’s desire to escape more. She weaved around the fallen trees, rotten out rowboats, and the underside of a dock to escape. She just needed a moment to recover and go another direction. Losing the Nurse for a moment, she hid behind a fallen tree before running again. The sound of her teleport caused Feng to twist and drop a pallet. In that same moment, the Nurse reached out to slash at her. Both connected, unfortunately for Feng. Slamming into the mud and grass, she was frustrated with herself that she hadn’t escaped. 

The Nurse lifted Feng easily onto her shoulder and started off. Fighting with all her strength, Feng was surprised the Nurse didn’t go for the hook that was right next to them. Not that she was complaining. It was just an interesting tactic. A generator roared to life in the distance. Was that one or two? Feng couldn’t tell as she had been running for her life around the area. The piercing pain was almost a welcome change to being carried by this ghostly woman. As she hung there, Feng wondered if anyone was going to come for her. 

Another generator went off. That was at least two that she knew were running. The Nurse disappeared off in that direction, leaving Feng alone to her pain and thoughts. The Entity was slowly creeping forward to claim Feng. The woman decided to wait for now, to give her teammates a chance to choose to help her. The seconds painfully ticked by slowly as she waited. The sounds of the Nurse in the distance were not any comfort. Using her last chance to escape herself, she failed. She wasn’t strong enough this time to get herself off the hook. As she now struggled for her life against the Entity directly, Nea (was Feng but don’t do doubles) ran around the tug boat and unhooked her. 

Feng took off quickly. Nea hung around the boat and distracted the Nurse when she came barreling into the area. It was a lucky break and Feng hoped her savior would be ok. Making it back to where she originally started was almost laughable. Feng took shelter on the ship and started to tend her wounds. She was just glad she had the strength to run after all that. It was going to take time to treat herself and out of nowhere, Jake came running up onto the ship. He hooked a left and stopped to help Feng. 

The pair got lucky as the Nurse was otherwise occupied and didn’t come to their location. Jake left the ship and Feng, determined to finish that generator, went up top once more. She looked around the ship, trying to spot the Nurse. When she didn’t, she went back to the generator. She could hear the shrieks in the distance. Someone else was her victim for now. Approaching the generator, Jake was already there. Feng wasn’t sure where he had come from. She hadn’t heard him. 

Together, they worked on the generator. Another generator sounded in the distance. Three at least. Maybe four were done. Whatever the amount, they were one step closer to being done with all this and moving on to another trial. Maybe the Entity would be kind for once and let them rest. Feng mentally laughed about that. The Entity wouldn’t be generous. 

“Ok Jake we got this.” Feng said softly as they work. Jake didn’t respond but she knew he heard her over the generator. Little comments were all they could afford in times like this. They had to focus. If they slipped on a test and the generator blew up, the Nurse would know. Passing the checks of the Entity, the generator came to life. The horn on the ship blared loudly, announcing its completion. As it sounded though, the humming of the exit gates was also heard. That was the last generator!

Getting off the ship quickly, the two parted ways. Jake went one way and Feng ran off the ship another direction. As she booked it past the rotten trees and through the mud, she heard a cry in the distance. 

“Oh no.” Feng whispered as she went towards the far side of the map. She debated with herself on whether it was worth saving that person. It could have been Nea who went down. She only knew of two other survivors. She wasn’t sure who the 3rd one way. She couldn’t even be sure Nea wasn’t dead already either. Climbing up the small hill, she approached the broken docks. There was always a door behind that horrible shack that was in the distance. She would be safe there if she could get the door open. 

Running up the dock and dropping over the side, she landed and heard a loud groan. Someone was on a hook. As far as she knew, Feng had been the only one on a hook. Perhaps this person was worth saving. The door had to come first. If there was no escape, saving them would be a foolish venture. Approaching the door, Nea was standing there opening it already. Adjusting course, Feng went back to try and save the one on the hook. It was the unknown survivor. It was female so maybe Claudette. 

Weaving across the landscape again, she used the reeds and broken trees to hide as she got closer. She hoped it was this direction. It was hard to tell as things echoed in the misty darkness. The Nurse’s screams continued and Feng went another direction. She had to be careful. It sounded like someone was running so maybe the person was off the hook. With the Nurse this close, it wasn’t always worth the risk. Creeping back to the shack, Feng started towards the now open door. Nea had done it. There was always a second door so maybe Jake and whoever else was around would make it out as well. 

Always a risk taker, Feng passed by Nea who was waiting on her to head into the shack’s basement. Feeling cocky rarely ended well but they had the door open, right? At least Feng thought that way as she went downstairs. The Entity’s presence was heavy in the air as she moved. Curving around the corner, she started to search the chest. She had a decent med kit already but she wasn’t going to pass up a chance for something better. 

The Nurse’s cries echoed around the area. Was she chasing someone? Was she just moving from one place to another? With the killer, it was never certain what they were doing or if they were just a puppet in the Entity’s game like the survivors were. Whatever the reason behind it, it was better to hear the shrieks than not know where the killer was. At least a little direction was a help. Nea crept down after her when she was nearly done with the searching. Safety in numbers. Also, the Nurse wouldn’t think to check down in the basement when the door was open.  
Perhaps they were wrong. Nea disappeared upstairs, leaving Feng to take or leave the nicer toolbox. She left it in favor of the med kit. They were more useful in the long run. Heading up the stairs, dread settled. Where was the Nurse? She was quiet. Suddenly, as Feng stood at the bottom of the second flight of stairs, the Nurse appeared at the top. She was facing away from the basement towards the open door. Waiting for her to leave, Feng raced up the stairs and stopped behind the doorway by a locker. The Nurse went to the open exit gate, looking around for someone who was lingering. As the Nurse searched, she chased Nea out of hiding. Feng was watching through the slats in the shack to see what was going on. 

Nea stood there for a moment, gesturing to the Nurse before she was hit. Nea ran for the exit then to get out. Still hiding in the shack, Feng watched the Nurse teleport away from the area. She passed right through the shack, mere feet from where Feng was hiding. After she was gone, Feng checked around the edge of the building before she too went for the exit. She had no idea of Jake and the other person got out but she knew she did as well as Nea. 

Live to see another day and the Entity seems pleased by your efforts. Fail and suffer the consequences.


	9. Chapter 9

Rusted metal. Twisted trees. Waist-high grass. Tires stacked everywhere. The wreckers wasn’t the place to be. Sometimes it was a wonder if the twisted and rusted out cars were not more of a threat then the killer. The mostly open sky did nothing to help calm the fear and dread that always came up while being here. 

Looking around, Dwight noted the bus, cars, and stacks of what might have been cars at one point before him. He tried to tell himself it could be worse but honestly? Each trial was worse than the last. Walking around some tires stacked to his height and metal barrels that could have held anything, he was going towards the generator. Along the way, he saw Claudette. She had a med kit in hand. Hopefully they wouldn’t have to use it. 

Together, it took them no time at all to finish the generator. Running past a hook and towards another generator, Dwight stopped to walk through the bus. He crouched down, feeling like death was looming nearby. He had been right. He wasn’t sure who the killer was just yet, but the loud footsteps meant it wasn’t the hag or the nurse. It probably wasn’t even the Shape. He was silent when he wanted to be. Reaching the second generator, Claudette was already there and working. 

After his last failure in the trial, Dwight was on edge. He was more aware and paranoid which was not a good thing. Thinking he heard something, he moved away from the generator while Claudette stayed and worked. Shaking it off, he went back. He couldn’t do this. Failure wasn’t an option the second time. He would help his friends and do his best to get everyone out alive. A cry nearby caught his attention. Someone went down and it was a woman. Claudette was still with him and they shared a little look. The generator had to be finished first. 

With it finished a few moments later, Dwight walked past Claudette towards where the person went down. Claudette went the other direction. Hiding behind the trees, Dwight was trying to figure out where the killer and his victim had gone. A muffled cry. The basement. Dwight summoned up his courage and started towards the run-down metal shack that was nearby. A generator hummed to life in the distance. Someone else was still working. That was a good sign. Giving it a few more seconds, he was about to move when he started to panic. The killer was close. The trapper walked right by his tree as Dwight crouched behind it. 

Once the killer was gone, Dwight went for the shack. Running for it, he almost made it inside when his right leg landed in a bear trap. Crying out, he worked quickly to try and release it. In the other doorway was Claudette. She came over to help him. The trap snapped open under her skilled hands and the trapper’s blade connected with Dwight’s back. He fell face first onto the wooden floor, hearing Claudette’s boots pounding as she ran for the other door. Picked up, Dwight struggled as he was taken down to the basement. As he looked up, he could see Claudette was still there, just on the other side of the door she left through. 

The searing pain of the hook through his shoulder was a sobering moment. He could die here. On his right and behind him was Meg. She didn’t look that good. There was still hope though as Claudette was close and could get them down. Or at least save Meg. Unfortunately, Meg started to struggle. Dwight glanced over at her and could see the Entity was trying to claim her. Meg was fighting back as much as she could to save herself and buy time. Would it be enough?

Claudette raced down the stairs, watching for a trap and pulled Dwight off the hook. He groaned as his feet hit the ground but he didn’t waste time. He turned to his right and pulled Meg off the hook, even if it was killing his shoulder. Meg took off running, with Dwight and Claudette behind her. The trapper was coming back at that same time. Dwight hooked a hard right at the top of the stairs, narrowly missing the trapper’s blade. Meg vaulted the window and Dwight took the door where he had been caught, watching for the trap that might have been set up again. Claudette took the door the trapper came through, since he was headed into the basement now with his next victim. 

Dwight ran to the bus and hid to bandage himself up. Meg was close as he could hear her doing the same thing. They should have been helping each other but it was too late now. If they moved from their hiding places, they could be seen. The trapper was still close. Maybe they should have run further away than this. The killer was hunting again, looking for the two that got away. Meg finished healing herself and as she moved, the trapper saw her. A cry was heard as he slashed at her a second time. 

As she ran around the bus, Dwight was forced to move. Limping away, he stayed in the area which was not a desirable choice. He finished his task with a sigh. Meg was gone again but the sound of a trap being triggered never ended well. Heading to a generator, Dwight got to work. Maybe it was Claudette who got trapped. Could have been Meg or even whoever their fourth way. Dwight regretted not paying attention to who the trapper had as he was running away. 

Creeping away from the generator to try and help whoever was in the basement, Meg started to work on the generator. This caught the trapper’s attention and he came back. Breaking it, he walked around the bus to see whoever was around. Dwight stayed hidden behind the tires and a pallet on his left. Meg ran around the tires, paused and then slammed the pallet down when the trapper was close. Dwight, in a panic, crawled over the pallet. Protecting Meg from the hit, while not on purpose, was likely for the best in this case. Running away, the trapper didn’t come after him, which was a small mercy. 

Running across the area, he quietly climbed through a window. As he did, he heard a pallet hit somewhere behind him. Had Meg followed him? With the trapper? Running through the building, he dodged the bright light of the generator that was done, and went out the far window. Keeping on his toes, he went to a corner behind some stacked crushed cars to bandage himself a second time. Tending to his own wounds was a little easier than it had been when he started doing it. He would have to thank Claudette at camp. 

Another generator roared to life in the distance. Dwight walked carefully until he found a generator. Meg also found that same one. The trapper, it seemed, was hot on their heels. Keeping his hands steady, Dwight worked on the generator and passed the checks as much as he could. When the trapper came back to the generator, Dwight was caught. The blade cut into him again and he was off and running. Hiding by a pallet, he dropped it and unfortunately, was on the wrong side. The trapper took advantage of this and brought the man to the ground again. Crawling away, Dwight was not going to die like this. He could buy time at least. 

Meg tried to come help him but the trapper got her with a hit. She ran off in the other direction. Dwight took this chance to hide in some tall grass. Trying to recover so he could get up, he just hoped not to be found. As he was going through his options, the trapper lost him. Hope was rekindled briefly as Dwight started to crawl again towards an exit. He had heard the blaring sound of the doors becoming available. As he crawled, Meg came back to get him up. Once he had his feet under him, Dwight took off running. Meg went to a door and Dwight went in the other direction. He wasn’t sure he was going to make it, especially with the trapper on his heels. Seeing Claudette in the distance, he ran for the open door. He didn’t make it before the trapper slammed his blade into him again. Hitting the ground, Dwight did the only thing he could. He crawled towards the exit. Claudette backtracked and took a hit for Dwight. As he continued to crawl, he heard someone else take a hit, another woman. It didn’t sound like Meg though. Freedom was so close as he continued his path. 

Painfully, Dwight managed to crawl his way to victory. Once beyond the reach of the trapper, he slowly got his feet under him a second time. Limping slowly towards the campfire, he could feel his strength returning and his wounds mending. The Entity was at least somewhat kind in that regard. Back at the campfire, Dwight waited on the others to arrive. There was a victory but it didn’t always feel like one. For now, they all made it out alive and that was good enough.


	10. Chapter 10

This was not going to end well. She just knew it. The stacked cars around them was no match for the heaviness that weighed on her. She had already disappointed her fans and her parents. What more could happen? Feng crept from the old gas station she started her trial in. Maybe she would be lucky and never run into another survivor. Was that luck or suicide?

As she walked, she could see a door in the distance and Bill walking towards her. He had a med kit in hand. Pausing behind the building, they shared a moment of conversation. 

“Where are you headed?” Bill whispered, looking around carefully. 

“I don’t know. This way maybe.” Feng responded, pointing off behind Bill. Bill nodded and followed Feng as she walked away. As they walked, the panic started to settle in once more. Was the killer close? Who was the killer? Feng looked around and saw nothing. Bill found a generator to work on. While he was working, Feng hid behind some rocks to listen. Sure enough, someone went down. It was very close. 

Feng got to work on the generator, feeling the killer was uncomfortably close. There was scream. It must have been Dwight. Hiding behind the rocks again, she waited as the killer came closer. Without warning, the hag whirled and slashed her claws into Feng. Running away, she wasn’t sure which direction she was going to go. She ran towards Dwight, giving him a little look as she passed. She had wanted to help him, if she could. Despite not wanting to get involved with others too much, Feng wasn’t heartless. Not all the time at least. 

She was taken down not too far from Dwight by the hag in the grass. Picked up by the creepy looking little gremlin want to be, Feng struggled as much as she could. She would see Dwight in the distance, hanging off the hook with little movement. She didn’t know where Bill had gone. The piercing of her shoulder was painful but she had become used to it almost. There was no telling where her teammates were or if they planned to come and save them. It wouldn’t be long before Dwight was in trouble if he was still on a hook. 

Deciding to give it a try, even though it rarely worked, she was going to get herself off the hook. The first attempt failed. The hook was painful and pulling your own weight off it was not easy. The second attempt failed but she found the strength to give it one more try. Struggling to pull herself off, she felt the hook leave her shoulder. Dropping flat on the ground, she pushed herself up and ran over to where she knew Dwight was. 

Getting Dwight off the hook was easier than she thought it was going to be. Once he was on the ground, Feng took off. She thought Dwight was following her but he didn’t. Leaving him to his own devices, she started to heal herself. As she did, she saw Bill and Dwight walk away. That was fine. Maybe they would have a better chance together. Hearing someone else cry out in pain, Feng headed off in that direction. 

Walking through the gas station, she was quiet as she left the building through a window. Running towards the one on the hook, she heard someone else get hurt. This killer was good at her job. Either that, or she was out for blood more than most. Either way, she didn’t want to want to find. Racing over to Claudette, Feng got her off the hook. As Claudette started to move, Feng stopped her to help her bandage her wounds. After she was done, Feng went to hide in the broken-down metal nearby. She was waiting to see if the hag was going to come out of the basement. Feng had to assume that the person that went down was in the basement. Moving closer to the shack, Feng saw Bill climb through the window. He must have been on the hook. 

As Bill left, Feng went into the shack to work on the generator. They had done a few but they still needed more. Choosing to go into the basement was a horrible idea but there was always a chest down there. Inching down the steps, she found the chest. Opening it carefully, she looked around for something useful. Finding a toolbox that wasn’t too bad, she took that and went back upstairs. Getting to work on the generator again, she had to do something other than run away from the hag and save others from the hook. 

Working quickly on the generator, someone else finished a generator right before Feng finished hers. One left if her math was correct. It was a little fuzzy since she had been running around for much of this trial. A distant scream crushed her hope. Now she had a choice. Try and help whoever was on the hill or survive and see about getting the doors open. Torn by a choice to make, she hesitated. Finally choosing to head off in that direction, she noticed the hatch. Another factor to keep in mind. Moving forward, a trap popped and the hag’s illusion showed up. Turning and running, it wasn’t just an illusion. It was the real thing. 

The person on the hook was going to end up dead at this point unless someone else was still around. It was eerily quiet. The hag slashed at her and it connected. Shaking it off as much as she could, she kept running. The gas station was in sight and she vaulted a window. Ducking around the old magazine stands, she went back outside. The hag was on her heels. Moving around the rusted-out truck, she turned to go right instead of left. The hag was right in front of her. Her fate was sealed. Brought to the ground with a second hit, she cried out. She had been so close! Feng knew she should have stayed at the hatch. Being selfish would have saved her. 

The hook sealed her fate quickly. The Entity claimed her quickly, sending her into darkness and then into the void so to speak. She woke up at the camp. Seeing her team there, she then had a feeling no one lived. It was quiet around the fire. There was little to say when they lost to the killer. The hag was brutal but she was beatable. All the killers were.

“Game over. Better luck next time.” Feng said, throwing some wood on the ever-burning fire.


	11. Chapter 11

Laurie wasn’t sure why she had a med-kit in hand. She just did. Was it from the last trial? Probably. Shaking it off, she frowned as the area came into view. It was the MacMillan estate. She was standing near the gnarled tree in the middle. Looking around, she took note of the rocks and twisted trees in the distance. She could sense a vague presence ahead of her and then gasped. The killer! Sometimes Laurie forgot she could sense them. In an effort to not be caught, she turned and ran. If she wasn’t looking in their direction, the killer wouldn’t be able to find her. 

Hiding between the rocks, she had to remember to be careful. Looking up and around wasn’t going to happen too often in this case. This trial was already very dark. Not looking up was going to make it near impossible. She found a generator and started to work it. As she worked, another generator sounded in the distance. One down. Perfect. Someone was running and she was sure she had heard the sounds of the Wraith’s bells. Laurie barely wanted to glance around for fear of bringing the killer down on her. She had faced worse though. Her brother for example. 

With the generator under her hands finished, she ran. Barely looking up as she did, she crouched behind a tree to wait. She had sensed the killer for a moment and it was a moment too long. As she waited with baited breath, the Wraith appeared. He slashed at someone, missed and turned on Laurie as he ran around the tree. She took off. Take a hit, she cried out but didn’t stop running. She couldn’t. in the end, she couldn’t evade him well enough and he caught her. She grunted as she fell to the ground in pain. The grass tickled her face as she lay there, mere feet from a hook. The Wraith didn’t have any trouble getting her on the hook. 

Laurie’s body trembled with pain as she hung there, a little dazed from the blows. She wasn’t sure anyone would care enough to come for her. When she had gone towards the generator, she was sure someone else was there. She hoped she didn’t get someone else hurt because she wasn’t paying attention. David came running over to get her down. Once her feet hit the ground, she was off. She had a med-kit to heal herself with at least. David kept pace with her. Under the cover of a barrel with fire, a few rocks and some trees, they healed themselves. Finding another generator, she got to work. 

“He’s off to the left.” She whispered to David as he came over. “We have to help.”

“I will. Stay here.” He whispered back to her. 

“Be careful.” She replied but she wasn’t sure he heard her. Two people had been taken down while they ran and healed themselves. One sounded male and the other female. Laurie wanted to help but she felt she was going to be a big target if she did and that would endanger the others too. When the generator came to life, she went to help. Someone was still on a hook nearby. Getting Meg off the hook and bandaging her up as best as she could. Laurie’s med-kit was nearly used up. It had helped a lot though. Without warning, the Wraith appeared between them. Both women bolted, though Laurie tripped up and found a rock. She was struck with the Wraith’s bone weapon. 

As she ran, she heard another generator go off. That made 5! The exit gates could now be opened. Only one problem; she had the Wraith right behind her and she felt his bloodlust growing. She was light on her feet, keeping him guessing. He swung and missed twice at least. Running into the shack, she felt sick as she almost went into the basement. Dodging another hit, she dropped a pallet on him as she fled through the door. The Wraith stopped to break it which allowed Laurie the chance to get some distance. She could see Meg was opening the door, but it wouldn’t be open in time. 

Laurie panicked. They would both die unless that door opened soon. Hearing the bells, she ran. The Wraith swung and hit Meg. Laurie doubled-back and almost got Meg killed. Leaving this door, Laurie went towards the center of the map. She must have passed by that tree ten times by now. Stopping behind a tree, she used what was left of her med-kit to heal herself. She wasn’t even sure there would be anything of value but she held onto it. Finding a second door, she saw David was there. Giving him what was left of the box, she smiled tightly. They both ran for the exit. Laurie hoped Meg and Dwight would make it. Dwight joined them shortly after. Meg… did not. She met them at camp, looking a little worse for wear.


	12. Chapter 12

Meg, Nea, Claudette and Dwight all started the trial at the same time. There was a hope that this, like all the others, would be their last and they could leave this hellish place once and for all. Like all the other times, it was a lie they told themselves to make it through the trial presented to them. Hope dwindled just a little each time they had a trial and each time they lost. In the end, they would somehow make it back to the campfire, rest a brief time if allowed, and keep going. It was an endless cycle. 

The sound in the distance let Dwight know that this was on the MacMillan Estate. The hook on his left told him his future. He hated coming into the trial and seeing one. At least when he didn’t open his eyes and see one first thing, he had a little more faith in his ability. Moving towards the building, he hoped the ladies would have an easier time of all this. In recent trials, Dwight had been growing stronger with his skills and abilities in these. Bravery was growing a little, though that might have been because of being around David and Bill. Both were tough and not afraid to take a chance. The large building in front of Dwight almost always had a chest in it. Maybe he could find a toolbox. Those could be useful. 

Vaulting the window carefully, he landed inside the building in silence. He crept towards the generator. It stood silently in the dimly lit building. Listening to the environment around him, Dwight didn’t immediately do anything. Sometimes silence was a horrible thing. He wished for a sense of the killer. This space was large, so it was possible someone else was running around. There wasn’t any of the usual sounds that signaled certain killers. Dwight mentally checked off certain killers as he listened in the darkness. Finally, he summoned up enough courage and opened the chest nearby. Searching them was loud, as he had to dig around, however, the reward could be worth it. Dwight sighed to himself as he stood up. A beaten-up med-kit. Better than nothing. 

Walking slowly to the generator, he paused once more to see if the killer was alerted to anything he was doing, before he started to work on the generator. As he worked alone, he felt his heart start to race. That meant the killer was coming. He willed himself to stay a little longer. The Entity tested his resolve with a check of his skills, which he passed with slightly trembling hands. This would be worth it. He couldn’t keep jumping at shadows all the time. When the killer stepped through the window, Dwight was off and running. He darted through the far side of the building, circled back into the building, and raced towards the window. He could make it! The killer was practically on his heels. Just as vaulted the window, there was a brush of a chainsaw against his left side and the sound of breaking bones on his right as a hammer slammed into him. Stumbling, he dropped the near-useless med-kit in his scramble to get away. A look back told him it was someone he had not faced personally. Bill had and said this killer was a cannibal. 

Dodging around the open space that contained both crates and stacks of trash, Dwight saw Nea, tool-box in hand, running for the run-down shack. He mentally cursed. Vaulting the window, he could see Nea on his left working on the generator in front of him. To his horror, the basement was in front of him. Jerking to the right and around the building, he took cover behind a broken wall, trying to stifle his moans of pain. The killer took longer than he expected to show up. Peering around a brick, Dwight waited. The Cannibal went around the building and in the too-close distance, the survivor heard Nea get taken down by the chainsaw. Dwight closed his eyes a moment before he started to bandage his wounds. He would have to save Nea. It was his fault she was caught. 

Wrapping up his wounds as best as he could in this place, Dwight walked towards the shack. He heard Nea’s cries of pain in the basement. The generator on the floor was worked on, perhaps even before Nea was there. Dwight couldn’t be sure. The chainsaw in the distance was a little comfort, knowing he couldn’t get back here as quick as some of the killers could. It was truly frightening how fast some of them moved across the trial areas. The basement always gave Dwight the creeps. As he crept down the steps, he brushed his hands off on his pants. Reaching for Nea without a second thought, he lifted her down from the hook with a soft apology. She made no comment of acknowledgement of him other than a look. She had ever right to be upset with him. Patching yourself up in the basement was always a risk. Still, Nea crouched down and allowed Dwight to help tend her wounds. It was the least he could do for now anyway. The woman went to search the chest that was always in the basement. These risks were great, but the reward was usually worth the price. Dwight went back upstairs to work on the generator. He had only heard one ring out in the distance. Or at least he thought he did. The rapid heartbeat he had had for some time while the killer was at his heels drowned out most everything else. Working in plain view of the window, Dwight would, should he need come up, take a hit for Nea. She stayed behind the generator, out of sight. That was good. 

In the distance, Dwight could see the Cannibal chasing someone around the crates. It was far too dark and too far to clearly see who it was. The frame was smaller so perhaps it was Meg running around. She was light on her feet when she wanted to be. As they worked, no words passed between them. The generator roared to life under the hands. Nea went out one door and Dwight took the other. Being together was a help on the generators or healing each other to be sure. Still, Dwight didn’t want to get someone else hurt because he couldn’t figure out how to run in a non-straight line like last time.   
Running past a few hooks, crates, and a faint feeling the killer was coming towards him, Dwight found another generator to work on. No one else had been there yet. The locker at his back and hook on his left were of little comfort. Wiping his hands off, he knelt to get to work. He wondered if the one he started in the building was found and finished yet or not. He would check there next. His heart started to race once more. As he held out, a generator came to life somewhere in front of him. Maybe it was the one in the building. Moving to the locker, he slipped into it without a sound. He hated hiding in these things, but hiding was better than running for him and the Cannibal, from what he was told, had wonderful aim with his hammer and his chainsaw. Peeking out the little crack in the doors, Dwight’s heart was racing. He swallowed his fear and tried to calm his breathing. He heard a pallet drop and someone running. He caught a glimpse of a grey cap. Nea! The pallet was kicked down a few seconds later. She must have been seen leaving the shack and she ran this way to avoid others.

The Cannibal passed by the locker without giving it a thought. He revved his chainsaw as he passed, no doubt trying to scare the survivor he had his sights on. Dwight had little idea where Nea went after she passed the locker he was in. Apparently, the Cannibal did however. Dwight heard a locker behind him get opened and the tell-tale sound of a weapon hitting the wood. Nea’s gasp of shock wasn’t far behind. Looking straight ahead, Dwight saw a hook. If she was placed there, he could save her once more. If the Cannibal thought to check his locker… they could both have a large problem on their hands. As the edge of the Cannibal and Nea came into view, another generator roared to life. That meant there was only one more needed. This was good. No one else had been on a hook but Nea. There was still a chance. The Cannibal paused to kick the generator Dwight had been working on before leaving the area.

There was a hint of him nearby when Dwight left the locker and quickly got Nea off the hook. A cry in the distance signaled someone else was taken down. It sounded like Meg. Nea was off and running, Dwight keeping on her heels. He was going to help her a second time. They ran towards one of the doors and around a small corner. This was safe enough. The cry of someone being hooked was very far from them. Distance didn’t always matter. Maybe it would help this time. Nea started to inspect her wounds before seeing Dwight behind her. He helped to patch her up again as quickly as possible. They would all need to be at their best for this little leg of the trial. They had just finished tending her wounds, when their hearts started to race. Nea took off running and Dwight crouched in the grass. Maybe she would be ok. He wasn’t even sure what was on this part of the map. 

Dwight wasn’t so lucky. The Cannibal had to have had help from the Entity as he knew there was more than one person there. Nea was free for now, as Dwight was caught. He panicked when the killer raised his chainsaw above his head. Running straight into the killer, Dwight dodged to the left and towards a pallet. Dropping it seconds before the chainsaw sliced into him, Dwight knew he had to keep moving. The feeling of the saw just behind him was far too close. The pallet exploded behind him, but Dwight kept moving. Weaving around two broken walls, he found Nea a second time at the shack. This was not a place either of them wanted to be. When they reached the edge of the area, Nea banked a hard right and Dwight kept running straight. There were enough obstacles that he felt he could keep distance from the killer. 

With some crates and a large wooden spool on his left, Dwight practically felt the killer’s breath on his neck. As the chainsaw roared to life behind him, Dwight hooked left. He heard the Cannibal’s cries as he swung the saw around, hoping to catch him. Dwight was a bit quicker though and avoided it, just barely. He was sure there was a few hairs missing from his head. As he continued to run, he felt the annoyance from the killer. If he kept moving around, maybe the others could finish that last generator. it was a fool’s hope. The Cannibal tried a second time to take down Dwight as he rounded a stack of boxes and some large treads for a heavy machine, Dwight felt death right on his heels again. Rounding a tree with some boxes, Dwight’s foot caught on a root, stalling his progress for only a second. It cost him. Feeling the biting pain in his back, the man flattened to the ground, the Cannibal and his chainsaw standing over him. 

It was more difficult than normal to struggle against the killer’s grasp. Again, the Entity was helping. The Entity helped either said, some more than others. Dwight still fought with everything he had, his wounds recovering enough so he wouldn’t bleed out. Not yet anyway. Passing the shack’s door, Dwight knew he was basement bound. This was never good, and he doubted he would be saved. It wouldn’t be likely. He had saved Nea out of guilt. Not because he was brave enough to do this. The hook pierced his shoulder and with a cry, Dwight was left hanging. He didn’t feel the panic of the killer nearby, but that quickly changed. He was coming back to check on him. Not wanting to be left there, Dwight tried to get himself off the hook. He shouldn’t have bothered. The Entity denied him the chance to escape himself and instead came quickly for him. Fighting back the demonic legs of death, Dwight’s strength was starting to fade.

There was little time between when he started to struggle and when his strength failed. No one had come. It was just as well. The basement was typically a lost cause when someone was hung up down there. The last generator had sounded and there was a good chance the doors were being opened already. Buying as much time as he could, Dwight eventually failed to hold back the Entity. The legs pierced his torso and he was gone. Waking up at the campfire, he sighed. Hopefully the others would be able to get out. Nea appeared not long after Dwight did. She sat up from the ground, muttering under her breath about the Cannibal. She had failed as well. It took longer for Meg and Claudette to show up, which meant that they had survived and lived to keep a piece of themselves another day.


	13. Chapter 13

Ace took risks all his life. He was good at it. Well, most of the time. He had pushed his luck one too many times and now he had to face the music. He had sucked it up as much as he could however, this place was unlike anything else. He had a chance to learn a few things from others and in turn, teach them what he knew. They were all in this together. He liked Claudette. She was a sweet young woman who wanted to help everyone. Kind of like a mother hen. Dwight was just the same. The man was too gentle to be here, but he was getting stronger, for good or bad. 

The lodge, looking in the distance, was not a sign of hope. the large obstacles in the way could be helpful. Ace wasn’t all that familiar with his location though. He would have to be quickly. He didn’t have any idea who was with him, if anyone to be honest. Sometimes, there was a tease with the Entity and there wouldn’t be all four in a trial. Ace’s heart started to race as he walked towards the lodge. Crouching down by a rock, he waited. His eyes scanning the area for any sign of the killer. Eventually, he spotted him. It was the Trapper. He swallowed hard. According to the others, his bear traps could be extremely hard to disarm and escape from and he always knew where they were. Always. 

Picking up a trap meant that the killer had already placed one somewhere. Ace needed to be careful. He watched the Trapper walk towards the rock and quietly moved around it. The killer headed off into the distance. Ace let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. This might be harder than he thought, however he was already lucky for not being spotted. Peering around the rock, he watched the Trapped set his trap near a pallet. Ace made note not to run for that one. It would be a death trap. The killers knew that the pallets were there for the survivors to feel safe. Give them a chance to escape. Sometimes it worked and sometimes not. 

Lightly jogging to the lodge, Ace vaulted the window. Seconds after he started and way too late to stop, he spotted the trap on the floor. It closed harshly around his right foot. Groaning in pain, he needed to work quickly to get it open. Jake had been right. The traps really did hurt like a bitch. Much to his surprise as he struggled to free himself, David walked in the door. The large man knelt without thought and pried the trap apart. Ace groaned as it came free, falling to the side briefly. Wounded and vulnerable, Ace booked it up the broken inside of the building. David disappeared back out the door without a word. Pausing upstairs, Ace had to keep moving. It was going to hurt but he had no choice. Dropping from the second-floor deck, he hit the ground hard. Grunting, he got up and limped off. It didn’t save him much at all. He might have been safer hiding in the locker he had passed on his way up.

Running into the open wasn’t a smart move, but it was the only move in this case. Seeing some trucks and tires nearby, Ace pushed himself towards a larger set up of them. He dropped a pallet as he passed, making sure to scan the grass for traps. It wouldn’t be unheard of to find one the hard way out here and he had seen the Trapper place one before. Turning around to see where the killer was, he was far too close. Instinct kicked in as he moved around the truck and tires to keep them between him and the killer. Without meaning to, Ace slipped across the pallet and, assuming the killer would be predictable and go around, started back. He couldn’t prevent the large hand from grabbing him right off the pallet. Dropping to the ground with a grunt, he was lifted onto the shoulder of the Trapper. Struggling seemed futile as the killer took him straight to a hook and dropped him on it.

Crying out, Ace hung there. It was painful and not something he would soon forget, it ever in his lifetime now. The killer left his prey there, assuming all would be well. The killer was wrong. Ace, being the lucky man that he was, took a risk to get himself off the hook. It was far from pleasant; however, the feeling of the hook being removed from his shoulder was a great relief. Slamming into the ground, was not. Pushing himself up, he limped off away from the area. The Trapper would be back. Ace was wrong in this case as there was no following heartbeat. He paused to tend his wounds. He had scoffed at Claudette insisting he know how to treat wounds. Now he was never more grateful. Next time he saw the woman outside of a trial, he might just kiss her. A generator chimed in the distance, followed by the sound of a trap getting triggered. Someone had stepped in one. Ace needed to tend to himself first. He was almost useless unless he was able to take a hit for someone else. Two seemed to be their limit before they were reduced to the ground. Another of the Entity’s ‘helpful’ moments. One hit alone from any of the killers should take anyone down. Some did, but most however needs a second strike. A female scream echoed around the area. It sounded like Meg. A second trap sound echoed. Maybe the person got out of it. 

With his wounds tended as best as they could be, Ace went to the generator nearby. One was completed. Four more were required to have enough power to open the doors. Why they just couldn’t find a way over the wall, he didn’t know. Claudette told him once she had managed to get on the other side of it. The Entity dumped her right back into the trial. Ace was no engineer so there was a little trial and error until he got into the swing of it. The generators were seemingly designed to be easy. How lucky for them. Whimpering came from Ace’s left and a boom came from the right. A shudder ran through him. The Entity had claimed someone. With Meg, injured and bleeding, now working on the generator with him, Ace was left wondering who had been on the hook. David ran by just as the generator was completed. Ace almost missed the increasing terror around him due to the loudness of the generator’s roar to life.

Everyone scattered instantly. David continued to run, Dwight went back the way he came, and Meg just vanished. She had been spending a lot of time with Nea. A yelp was heard. Meg had been hit. A grunt was heard soon after. Had David tried to save her? It seemed like it. Dwight found another generator and set to work. As much as he wanted to help, it was important to get the generators done. If they saved each other too often or too quickly, the killer just wouldn’t leave and would end up standing around the one on the hook. That never ended well for the survivors. In good conscience, however, Ace couldn’t leave them to their fate. Leaving the generator, he ran back towards the direction he had last seen Meg heading. He found her laying in a growing pool of blood by a pallet. 

Ace quickly worked to help her recover quickly. The killer could be back at any moment and that was a risk. Why the Trapper hadn’t hooked her was a guess. Mercy? Bait? Distraction? Anything was possible. Just as Meg was on her feet, David loud cry of pain echoed the area. Shaking his head, Ace finished up. Meg went towards David and Ace started back to the generator. Now that they had two survivors on their feet, it was possible to get a generator done. As soon as he started on the generator again, the Entity tested his skills. Barely passing the check, Ace took a breath. He had to focus. More than just his life was on the line. The sound of David going on a hook never came. Maybe he had escaped? Meg’s sharp cry echoed however. She must have got in the way of something the killer was planning. The generator hummed to life under his hands. Ace walked away, keeping the open space to his right as he moved. Meg cry once more filled the silence. She was done. The Entity quickly claimed her. Ace didn’t even know she had been struggling. 

Ace ran to the lodge and around the front of it. There was always a generator there. getting to work, he kept looking to his right. The killer would see him without fail from this point. This was the worst generator to do. Maybe he could get it started and David could do another one somewhere else. They still needed two after all. The Entity was seriously testing how calm Ace’s nerves were. He passed each one, though some he felt he should have failed. The Trapper came up over the hill and Ace was off. He ran up through the building, spying the hatch on the ground floor. He would have to keep that in mind. Running up with the intent to jump off, he felt the sharp blade of the Trapper’s weapon slice into his shoulder. A burst of adrenaline propelled him forward and off the deck. The landing hurt but he had to keep moving. The killer seemed to pause a moment, letting Ace get some distance. It was short lived. 

Hiding in the broken-down bus, Ace started to heal himself. As the Trapper came closer, he moved to drop the pallet. The Entity had a sense of humor and made sure that Ace was on the wrong side. Feeling the biting pain of another swing, Ace tumbled head over heels from the impact and slammed into the metal flooring. He was in enough pain that he didn’t need the Entity taunting him. The trapper wiped off his blade, kicked down the pallet, and picked up Ace. His struggling was short lived as when he had run around the hill, there was a hook perched on top of it. Lucky, lucky Ace. While struggling for his life, Ace saw David coming to his rescue. God Bless that man. The Trapper had picked up a trap and went towards where the trap door was. No doubt he was aiming to keep anyone from leaving that way, if only one survived. 

As soon as David lifted him from the hook, Ace was running. He needed to get as far as possible from that hill. As he moved, he saw the shack in the distance. Not the best place, considering the basement was not in the main house. It meant he was coming closer to it. If he had to feel the piercing pain of a hook again, the Entity wouldn’t let him survive. Testing his luck, the man threw open a chest that was there and found a crummy toolbox. Dropping onto the stairs, he limped his way over to the chest in the basement. Searching this one proved a little more useful and he found a flashlight that could help. Bandaging his wounds, he didn’t know where David went. He had thought the man was behind him. Now armed with some way to repel the killer, Ace was ready. Finishing his wounds, he started towards the stairs but stopped. The killer was coming! Did he know Ace was in the basement? Ace ducked into a locker to wait it out. 

There was clicking sounds, telling Ace that David was snapping traps somewhere. It sounded far away so the man must have been on the other side of the map. Perhaps even by the trap door. The killer headed off in that direction, allowing Ace to escape the basement. Not far from the shack was a generator. working it to completion, Ace took off once it was done. He hadn’t seen nor heard the killer since the basement. That was concerning. As the generator’s lights went off above, Ace walked away and took cover behind some twisted metal debris. He waited. Nothing happened. Another snap in the distance. Feeling safe enough, Ace crept around from his hiding place and started off once more. He passed the shack against the wall and passed a finished generator. Just as he found another, David was running from the killer. Hiding against the bus, David limped past. The killer came around the corner and swung at David. Flashlight held tightly in hand, Ace bravely tried to save his companion. It failed. 

David found the hook the hard way and the killer moved away to find Ace. Heaving the man off the hook, David took off running. Ace lingered a moment, seeing the killer. He flashed the Trapper, earning himself a hit in the process but it bought David more time. He ran towards the lodge and Ace ran the other direction back the way they came. The frantic heartbeats and terror faded. Ace stopped to recover. He couldn’t keep this up, but the Entity made sure they would. Listening carefully as he bandaged himself yet again, Ace flinched at the cry of pain. David was down again. The pallet had failed the brawler. Finished tending his wounds, Ace made for the hook again. If they were going down, they would go together. David looked grateful to be saved a second time, even if there was a lingering fear in his eyes. The Trapper was closer than expected. Ace tried to block, take a hit, but the Trapper would not be stopped. David dropped again to the hard ground. Ace whirled around and glared at the killer. He was slashed at and hit, making the man run again for his life. The killer was right behind him. Nearly making it to the bus once more, another harsh blow brought him to the reality of death. This was it. 

The Trapper picked him up and Ace was resigned to death. He didn’t fight this. If he found a hook, he was dead. David was as well. The Trapper walked right up the hill hook and paused before walking away. He brought Ace right back to the lodge, standing over the downed David who was near the trap door before heading upstairs. He dropped Ace to the wooden floor. Heading back towards David, the Trapper must have picked him up and brought him to a hook. Ace didn’t understand. What was going on? Why wasn’t he hooked? Why had David gone first? Was this a cruel play by the Trapper? What puzzled Ace the most was what happened in the next few moments. He wasn’t struggling and yet, when the Trapper picked him up, he didn’t go immediately to the hook on the hill. Clearly that was the location. Feeling some strength and will to live returning, Ace started to struggle. Maybe it would be enough time. He fought with all his might. The killer took the long way around the hill, which he didn’t have to do. There was no need for it. Mere seconds from the hook, Ace broke free and ran into the area. He ducked behind from twisted metal salvage. The killer did not come after him. 

Treating his wounds yet again, the man was confused. What was going on? No killer had mercy on the victims. The Entity wouldn’t allow that. Creeping towards the hill, Ace’s heart was racing. The Trapper was indeed on the hill, pacing it like a caged animal. He wasn’t leaving however. This was even more confusing. Surely, he would be able to easily find a single person. Not seeing Ace, the Trapper went back to working on his masterpiece. He was trapping the trap door, over and over. Ace worked on a generator in plain sight, watching the killer and what he was doing. This behavior was unknown to them and he would have to bring it up when he was back at the campfire, one way or the other. Finishing off the generator, Ace went directly to the door nearby. The Trapper turned and came right at him. The trap door slipped Ace’s mind in that moment as he was hit and turned to run away. 

Running across the map, the killer was following closely, however not swinging at moment he could have. Ace ducked into a locker, knowing it was likely a stupid thing to do. The killer wasn’t that stupid. Right? The killer was not that stupid. He stopped right outside the door, staring it down and waiting. Ace wasn’t moving, and neither was the killer. The Trapper started pacing around the area, waiting for Ace to leave. Eventually, he did. The Trapper knocked him down nearly immediately. Once he was lifted onto the Trapper’s shoulder again, Ace fought for his life. Again, the killer took the long way around and started down to the basement. This was it. Ace would die down here. The Trapper seemed to be toying with him however. Ace struggled free and ran. His life depended on it. There had been obvious mistakes in the way the Trapper was handling Ace.

Running towards the lodge with all his might, Ace heard the Trapper’s weapon slicing the air behind him. He was far too close to miss and yet he was, over and over. Knocking over a pallet, the Trapper’s weapon slammed into it. He didn’t stop to break it however and continued to chase. Up the hill and over the side. Another miss, barely. Ace had never run so much in his life. This was true terror. Ace considered the window in the lodge. The trap door was right on the other side. But the memory of the traps around it changed his course. He ducked to the right, the Trapper going left. There was no reason for the repeated misses the Trapper was doing. Finally, Ace got cut off by the Trapper and both stopped. Ace, panting and holding his wounds, looked at the large killer before him. The Trapper, staring him down, swung in the direction of the lodge. 

Confused, Ace tentatively walked over to the lodge. The Trapper was right next to him, however, seemed to have lost his aggression, for the moment. There were traps littering the ground around the hatch. Its lid was open and the black mist pooling around it like a welcome escape. Was this really happening? Was he being allowed to leave? Hope welled up as he moved closer. There was no avoiding the trap as he stepped right into it. His foot enclosed in painful teeth and metal, Ace cried out. The Trapper lifted him effortlessly onto his shoulder, the trap not even an issue for him to handle with one hand. Ace thought he had been tricked then. He was dead. The Trapper had been toying with him. Two strides forward and Ace was dropped unceremoniously to the ground. Grunting as he landed, he looked up at the killer. The Trapper swung one more time and Ace crawled through the hatch. It’s metal lid slamming shut the moment he was in the darkness. There was no explanation for what the Trapper did and Ace would never know why.


	14. Chapter 14

David sat around the campfire looking across at Dwight who looked a shade or two paler than normal. The man had been quiet since he came from the last trial. Meg, Nea and Bill arrived a brief time later. No one had spoken much of anything since their return. Moving over to Dwight, David pat him on the shoulder. 

“Wanna talk about it?” Dwight shook his head. He didn’t want to even remember it but, that wasn’t going to happen. He wouldn’t ever forget. Claudette looked over to Quentin, their new arrival as of late, and then back to Dwight. 

“Was it someone new?” Dwight nodded, absently rubbing at his chest. Quentin looked away and stood. He knew what had happened and he wasn’t even there.

A couple of hours later, Quentin sat down next to Dwight. They said nothing at first, perhaps just enjoying the fact they weren’t in a trial as some of the others were. Things never went well when they were facing someone unknown. It was like starting all over again. It was the same for telling the new victim what was going on and teaching them about the older killers who were present. Finally, Quentin spoke up. 

“Was it Freddy?” Dwight looked at him, some color having come back to his features.

“That’s his name?” Quentin nodded. Dwight sighed. At least he had a name now. That was something. 

“He’s a dream demon. Or atleast, that what people say about him.”

“It seemed like it.” Dwight took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes and face before putting them back on. and sat up a little taller. “That trial was horrible.” 

_Dwight’s Previous Trial_

Dwight hated the swamp. They all did to be honest. It wasn’t a friendly place. The tall cattails and decaying boats littered the area gave it a musty, creepy feeling. It never helped when there was heavy fog, like now. Dwight crept around slowly, feeling like he was going to be a target. Sometimes, it seemed like someone was ‘it’ in a game of tag. That person was usually murdered as soon as they were found by the killer. Keeping low and as quiet as he could, he moved around the area. There was nothing to be heard outside of the normal sounds. What was everyone else doing? Surely by now a generator could have been finished. Something was unsettling about this trial. It didn’t feel like the others. There was a heaviness around the air. Dwight saw nor heard anything out of the norm for the swamp as he kept moving. A hint of a song came to him before he passed it off. Maybe it was because he had faced the Huntress that he was hearing things. Shaking it off, he got to work on a totem and then a generator. 

As he worked, he had a feeling. It wasn’t a good one. Looking around, he saw nothing. Still, there was no sound of life in this dead place and no generator coming to life. What was happening? As the Entity felt it necessary, there was a hinderance on the generators. The Entity was helping the killer. Sighing, Dwight continued to work, trying to focus more on the generator than the sounds around him. Pausing his work, he looked around. A wave of sleep came over him and he noticed someone who hadn’t been there. a heavily scarred man in a fedora with a striped sweater on and claws on his hand. This had to be a new killer! He passed right by Dwight like he hadn’t seen him, though Dwight knew better. There was no chance this killer had missed him. Getting all turned around from panic, Dwight took off, the feeling of sleep getting stronger. Just as he felt he was going to fall asleep, he wasn’t tired. 

He was listening to children singing and then a dark laugh. His prespective on the world changed. It was greyer, like he was dreaming but he wasn’t. He couldn’t be. He hadn’t fallen asleep, had he? Keeping on the move, he eventually found another generator. Working on it without thinking, Dwight was shaken. What happened? He was trying to process it when he missed a test on the generator. Flinching at the loud boom and sparks, Dwight covered his face. The world came back into normal colors. Just as he was feeling better, the humming came back. Running in the mud was hard enough without hearing that behind him. The same wave of sleep fell over him. This time, though, Dwight knew how to get rid of it. Maybe someone else could help as well, if he had to chance to find someone. As he ran, the hum and laugh were back. The world tilted into shades of grey. Shaking it off, he passed by Bill. He was going to ask him for help, but the old man disappeared as quick as he was seen. Dwight let it go. Keeping on the move, he found himself back at a generator. Good. Those were something that still needed to be done. It was harder in this dream world or whatever it was. Dwight continued to do his best.

As he worked, Dwight wondered why the killer hadn’t come after him. He had two chances and just let Dwight run away. Maybe he was waiting for something else to happen. No one else seemed to have this problem. Then again, he hadn’t seen anyone else to ask either. Maybe they were, and he just couldn’t ever see them. The swamp wasn’t the easiest place to see others across the area. His heart started to go crazy and he took off. Without looking back, Dwight took off towards a window. He vaulted it, just as he felt the killer behind him. He didn’t want to know what that man, killer, was going to do to him. Those claws he had seen looked painful. Running quickly, Dwight slipped a little going up a hill towards a pallet. It was enough of a delay to feel the sharp slash of those claws. He dropped the pallet right behind him and kept going, keeping his left arm against his body. Just as quick as it happened, the killer was gone. Dwight was confused by this. Again, the killer let him live. Was he toying with him?!

Bandaging himself up, Dwight’s shaky hands missed the wound and he yelped in pain. The world came back to color. He heard the humming start and ran off, cradling his arm to his body and hunched. As he ran, he heard a swipe behind him. The killer had to be close but apparently couldn’t touch him. Maybe that was a weakness? The hazy feeling returned, and Dwight’s heart sank. He had done nothing of value this entire trial. He was just running around and avoiding the killer. As soon as the feeling faded, and the world turned grey, he felt the slash across his back. The mud and grass were a welcome embrace for the seconds he was able to enjoy it. The killer, by contrast, was smaller in size that Dwight and probably weighed less. He lifted the downed man without an issue and headed towards a hook. Dwight struggled, wiggling around and trying to get away from the killer. The killer was briefly thrown off by the struggling which allowed Meg to attempt to blind him. It failed, and Meg ran off.   
Dwight was dropped unceromoniously to the ground by a tree. Grunting, he shook it off and started to crawl away. The killer had left him to chase down Meg. He heard her yelp of pain in the distance. He hoped she was able to get away from this new killer. Dwight crawled through the mud and grass for several long minutes before he heard the ounding of feet. Stoping, he saw Meg. She had come back for him. Her own wounds weren’t treated yet as she helped to haul Dwight back up onto his feet. Dwight stopped her, so he could help Meg, and the killer returned. Dwight remained there for Meg to run off. He slammed right back into the ground with a grunt. Dwight was getting tired of this game as the killer had left him there yet again. This was horrible. Dwight tried to summon up the courage and strength to get up. He was so close and then Bill arrived over him. He was injured as well. The old soldier practically yanked Dwight onto his feet, pat him on the back, and they were off. There was no actual time for healing at this point. They needed distance. 

Running was difficult. Dwight was tired and drained from his wounds and the Entity trying to kill him. Bill was gone the moment the killer showed his face. Dwight continued to run, dodging around pallets and tree stumps into a decaying dock. He didn’t know this place well at all ad risked doubling back inside. He should have just gone up the ramp. Claws dug into his back and he made friends with the grass and mud once more. A curse left his lips as he landed hard. This time, however, the killer picked him and walked him to a hook. It was almost a relief to not be in that dream world as the pain of the hook brought him back to reality. Neither was a good place to be, but honestly? Diwght much rather see the world as it was, than whatever that killer had done to it. Bill’s cry signaled to Dwight he had to try and save himself. Finding the strength, he struggled to pull himself off the hook. Nea came over to help Dwight get down. Dwight was in the process of waking her up when the killer returned. Dwight felt that sense of dread well up inside. Bill had been downed. He didn’t know where Meg was and Nea went down right in front of his eyes. 

Running immediately, Dwight didn’t know where he could go. Was there anywhere safe from this killer? It didn’t seem like it. The killer didn’t hover long over Nea and came after Dwight. He could hear the claws behind him, as the killer moved closer. This couldn’t be happening. As soon as Dwight’s world tilted once more, he was eating the ground. Grass and mud would now be the things he hated the most, based on how much time he had spent laying in it during this trial. A rare boost of strength filled Dwight as he stood. The killer had hit him, but it didn’t feel like it. Standing there, he was stunned and tired. He knew he should move, shouldn’t be standing still with the killer behind him. The world was briefly back to normal and then flashed to grey. A sharp pain erupted from his chest, the killer’s clawed hand seen. Dwight cried out in pain, dying on the spot by the killer’s own hand.

He woke up back at the campfire. He had never experienced something like that. He had been killed by the killers, of course everyone had. This one felt more personal. The Nurse’s kill felt personal also. Most were indifferent. At least it felt like that most of the time. It wasn’t that common to be killed by the killer either. The Entity usually claimed the victims off the hook. 

_Back At The Campfire_

Quentin nodded as he listened to the account of the trial. He knew those feelings all too well. 

“That was Freddy. I don’t know why we are here or how we can leave. It will just be something others have to know about. You should tell them.” Dwight didn’t want to hear that, but he knew Quentin was right. 

“Alright. If you can add anything, you should too.” Quentin smiled a little bit. 

“Ok.” A small friendship had started in this horrible place. How far it go was anyone’s guess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate getting moried


	15. Chapter 15

Quentin really didn’t know what to make of all the trials everyone else was talking about. He had survived two so far and this was yet another one. He had been around the campfire, learning things from Meg, Dwight, and Claudette when he was summoned away. He wasn’t even sure if they had come with him or not. He hoped so. Each one had traits that would help the others make it out alive. Not that the others didn’t have useful things to pass on as well. Some… he just didn’t talk much to like Bill or Feng. They kept to themselves a lot of the time. 

As the fog cleared, Quentin found himself in Springwood. A shiver passed down his spine for a moment as the house came into focus. Second floor. Shouldn’t jump out the window but he considered it anyway just to avoid walking down the stairs. Standing there to steady himself, Quentin turned to walk into the door on his left. As he did, he noticed Dwight walking in on the first floor. That settled his nerves to know at least a friendly face was nearby. How long that would last was unknown. He turned right into a small area and saw a box. Opening it, Quentin was hopeful for something useful. A decent med kit was found in the bottom of it. This would be very helpful in the end. Checking it over, it was better than average. 

Quentin followed Dwight a moment to see if there was a generator in the building to be fixed. Based on Dwight taking a jump from the window, there was nothing to be found. In this world of the Entity, jumping from a second floor didn’t hurt too back and broke no bones. It was a blessing, sometimes. Quentin took the stairs out the front of the house, looking around and being mindful of a potentially silent killer lurking. Running quickly around the ground level, there was no generator, so the side door was taken. There had to be on around this area. Other descriptions of the trials had told him there was always several around, usually in the ‘corners’ of these areas. 

It didn’t take more than seconds before Quentin found Dwight and Meg. They were working on a nearly completed generator. This was lucky. As the three worked together, Dwight was unable to stabilize his nerves. Without warning, the generator popped twice, and Dwight quietly slipped away, muttering an apology. Quentin and Meg remained on the machine, though Quentin hoped that the killer wouldn’t show up to the alerts that had been sent to them. When the generator roared to life, there was a little less fear. Meg and Quentin took off running, to find another machine to work on. As Quentin moved, he moved around a picnic table and then crouched near some shrubs. He heard the humming. This meant it was that hatchet throwing woman. What did they call her? The Huntress. 

Hiding in the tall grass, Meg startled Quentin by coming up from behind him on the right side. She was in her black and green outfit, which wasn’t going to save them much. She was very much standing out. as they crept around the bush and a pallet, the Huntress found them. Meg took off running to allow Quentin a chance to leave. The killer swung her axe down. Quentin yelped in pain, knocking over the pallet in his haste to move. Pain radiated from his left side, but he knew he had to keep moving. Running in a straight line was a terrible idea, but he had no other option at this moment. Making towards a tree, he was seconds from hiding when the thrown hatchet slammed into his back. Quentin fell face first into the tall ground, wind being knocked out of him, and a cry of pain leaving his lips. 

The Huntress easily lifted the downed man up onto her shoulder. Quentin wasn’t done yet though. He struggled as much as he could, however it was not enough. The Huntress placed him on a hook, the sharp point ripping into his left shoulder. This was not the first time he had felt his pain; however, he didn’t want to feel it over and over either. As Quentin hung there, the Huntress got more hatchets and went towards what he assumed was another person in the trial. As he hung there, Quentin did look around as much as he could to his left and right. If there was anything he could do to help, he would consider it. Trying to pull himself off the hook crossed his mind around the same time as he was removed from the hook. Much to his surprise, Meg had saved him, and Dwight was there as well to help bandage his wounds. It was made a lot faster when others where helping. There was still no idea who the fourth in this group was, if there even was one to be honest. 

Once he was bandaged, Quentin and Dwight headed off in the same direction. The killer shack, as the others had called it, could house the basement, nothing, or a generator. Or even the basement and the generator. Either way, he risked it. There was a generator within and Dwight and Quentin set to work. Each test of the Entity was passed, some barely. Quentin was beginning to understand just how tricky this could be, especially if there was a treat seconds from finding the one working on the generator. the generator roared to life under their hands. During the fixing, there had been a high-pitched shriek of pain in the far distance. Quentin wondered if it was Feng. With the generator complete, he was going to find out. 

Running was never smart in these trials, but he risked it. If there had been in fact someone hooked, they needed to be off that hook, sooner rather than later. Knowing this area well, Quentin navigated it without issue. Twisting and turning around the picnic tables, blocks of cement, and bushes was easy. Quentin had thought Dwight left to find another generator. He was wrong. As Quentin rounded the fence, he could see and hear Feng’s moans of pain. He lifted her off the hook and looked right at Dwight. They ran to the same place, both having heard the same thing. It was lucky since it meant a quicker recovery for Feng, which was key. The Huntress, as he was told, was not to be taken lightly. 

The generator Quentin had passed to get to Feng was trying to come to life, which meant someone had been working on it but had to leave. The three turned the corner and went to work on the generator. Quentin’s hand slipped, blowing up the generator. He sighed, shaking his head. He knew he couldn’t be doing that. Taking a breath, he went back to work. Feng took off when the generator was nearly done to do something. Maybe find another generator or she was annoyed Quentin had missed the check. Either way, the generator came to life a brief time later and it was fine. Running and then hooking a hard right, Quentin crouched behind some vine-covered chain-link fence. He wanted to make sure the Huntress wasn’t coming his way. Dwight was gone. He was on his own.   
Seeing a totem by some trash cans, Quentin knelt to deal with it. He had been told that those could be important, early in the trial or late in it. Either way, take them out. Breaking it down took longer than he would have suspected. It was just some bones and twine, right? Clearly not. With it broken, Quentin moved on. He crept carefully for a minute before he stood and walked. Passing by the abandoned ambulance, he cast it a glance. A vehicle used to save people, now sitting there, lights on, like a beacon on the night. Would it help him to block a hatchet? He didn’t want to find out. Continuing, he came to a beat up green truck with cinder blocks in the bed of it. Meg was running towards him, and the Huntress behind her. Crouching, Quentin waited for them to pass by. His heart started to race for a moment, the lullaby much louder than it should have been. 

Risking it, he took off running towards a generator in the street. As he came close though, he heard another one that was nearly finished. He chose to head over there. ducking into a house, he went around a small wall and down the steps into the basement. Feng was there. she looked up briefly, giving him a warning look, before working. Quentin nodded, keeping his cool to finish this generator. when it roared to life, Quentin took off up the stairs. He passed a red truck in the carpool area and went left. There was a generator right there that needed to be worked on. Stopping at the broken fence, he could vaguely see Meg and the Huntress close by. Waiting for them to move away a bit, Quentin went back to work on the generator. The generator was nearly done when it roared to life, another one sounded in the distance, and the exit gates were briefly seen glowing. Hope was restored. 

Feng bolted for the door, wanting to make sure it was open before anything else. It was entirely possible that Meg was still running away from the Huntress. She had been exhausted by now. Waiting for the door to be opened was painful. It felt like it was taking too long. When the loud sliding of the metal doors was heard, Quentin glanced over. His eyes were otherwise fixed in the direction of the school. Feng ran by, saying something about helping if needed. Quentin nodded, running after her. He wouldn’t be able to face anyone if he just walked away without trying. The other door was coming into sight, as well as Meg, Huntress, and Dwight in the door that was open. It was promising at least. The Huntress threw a hatchet over the bushes, missing everyone but perhaps her aim was scaring someone off. Meg did her best, however, she was taken down mere feet from the exit. 

Quentin made a rash choice to try and help distract, which cost him an axe hit to his side. He yelped, running away. Feng and Dwight where still there. Perhaps they would be able to help. Dwight was pushed out of the trial by the Huntress before she picked up Meg. There was no waiting. Quentin, using the med kit, he had been running around with this whole time, made the bandaging quicker. It was good stuff. Feng’s cry cut the humming. Maybe it would be enough time? It was not as there was a hook right there. Quentin finished bandaging for a second time and ducked behind some tires. The firepit in the barrel was hot as he was keeping out of the sight of the killer. The Huntress new there was someone still around, as she scouted the area. Feng, remaining in the exit gate, was eventually pushed out as well, if she wanted to survive. 

Just as Feng was struck down, she felt just enough outside the killer’s grasp that the Entity allowed her safe removal. Quentin raced in, pulling Meg off the hook as quickly as he could. It was now or never. Meg ran one way and Quentin boldly stayed within in the killer’s line of sight. He ran around, dodging one hit and taking around. He couldn’t stay much longer. Making his way towards the exit door, he narrowly dodged a hatchet, but he made it to safety. Now he had to hope that Meg did the same. It felt like hours before Meg walked back to the campfire. She didn’t look like she had passed in the trial. She looked to Quentin and gave a brief nod with a small smile. Quentin smiled backed, knowing he had in fact saved her then and she had managed to survive. That was a small victory… until the next trial.


	16. Chapter 16

The woods. It was never a place to be on best of days. Now, it seemed, it was the dead of night and Dwight had a sneaking suspicion that they were going to die. Dwight looked around the immediate area, not seeing anyone else nearby. He had an overwhelming feeling that the killer was nearby. Crouching down in the grass, he waited. Walking away from the feeling, the man was almost sure that their killer was the crazy doctor from that institute. Running after a few minutes, Dwight heard a cry in the distance. It was David.

Crouching to work on a generator, Dwight had to keep his spirit up. Maybe he would run into someone else that would help and make this mess go faster. No one liked facing off against the doctor. That is what he was called, even though madman would be more accurate. There were tall trees, rock formations, and overgrown grass all around the man. Dwight was fairly protected from being seen, though heard would be present a problem. He heard a distant cry. Again, he thought it was David, possibly being inured this time. Had the man been running him around? Each test the Entity presented to Dwight, he passed with flying colors. He couldn’t mess this up. Without seeing anyone else, he was beginning to wonder if this was a true test. 

The generator came to life and he took off running for another one. If David was in fact the only other person here, which Dwight supposed could happen, then he had to make the most of the time David was giving him. Finding another generator was proving difficult as Dwight continued to run. He was growing discouraged as it was harder and harder to find one. He was looking for lights, for the sound of one being worked on, or anything that would tell him there was a generator. There was also no telling where David and the doctor were at the present moment. in the darkness, Dwight nearby tripped over a chest nearby a rock formation. Stopping to retrieve something useful out of it, David’s cry of surprise was closer than expected. It was off to Dwight’s right, the direction he had come from. 

Dwight continued to look and run, growing far more annoyed at himself than he should have. This was a joke. There had to be a generator, somewhere right? Finding another box to look in, the man did that. David’s cry was nearby once more, even though Dwight had moved from the original location that he had heard it. At this point, it was pretty clear that Dwight and David were on their own. If they failed this, it would be rough on their friendship. Whatever they could call one anyway. A busted toolbox or a busted med kit. Those were his options. Dwight stayed with the toolbox. It could be helpful on generators, if he ever found them! David’s groan of pain echoed, letting Dwight know he was down this time. 

The scream of pain from the tough man was startling. Dwight was walking right towards them and so he ducked into a locker quickly. Just as the door shut, he felt the metal give him a tiny shock. That meant the doctor was nearby. Looking through the slats in the door, the man could see the killer walk around and by him. Breathing a sigh of relief, Dwight pushed his glasses back up his nose and waited. He needed to save David from the hook, if only to buy them some more time. David struggled, trying to free himself from the hook in order to get away. It failed and left him struggling against the long arms of the Entity. Reaching up, Dwight helped David off the hook. The pair shared a brief look before David went right and Dwight went left.

As Dwight went on the search for the generators again, he drew too close to the doctor. He yelped out from the electricity, knowing he alerted the killer on accident. Maybe it would draw attention from David though and give him a chance to breath. He wasn’t wrong. The doctor swiftly turned his attention on Dwight, eager for a kill. The man, once more ducking into a locker, stayed as still as possible. Waiting for an extended time was trying on the man but it paid off. The doctor did come back, looking for his prize. Thankfully, the lockers provided a little coverage and insulation against the electricity. As soon as he ran from the locker, there was a generator in sight. 

This was in a bad location and wouldn’t provide much coverage from anywhere. Without much choice, the man worked on the generator. He was hyper aware of the space around him. The doctor came around once more, chasing Dwight away from the machine he had been working on. The toolbox in hand had been helping to make it faster but now, Dwight almost didn’t want to be carrying them. A shock ran through his body, causing him to cry out once more. As he ran, fear and panic welled up inside. Dwight couldn’t shake the feeling of this man, this killer, chasing him down and murdering him. 

The chase led them all over the broken walls, around rocks and trees, and through the tall grass. Dwight mis-stepped and the doctor slammed him with the pointed rod he used as a weapon. In a panic, he threw a pallet between the and continued to run away. Whatever David was doing, Dwight wondered if this is how the trial started for David. Was he off and running when it started? Was Dwight buying the man enough time to finish a generator? He hoped so. His prayer was answered as a generator chimed to life in the distance. A little bit of hope was restored by that simple sound. Diving into a locker noisily, Dwight knew that was a poor choice before the doors opened and the doctor grabbed him. Out of breath and injured, Dwight struggled against the killer. The searing pain of the hook was painful in his shoulder. Not knowing if David would come or not, Dwight tried to get himself off the hook. The first two attempts failed. Just as he heard the pounding feet of David come around the rock, Dwight summoned enough strength to pull himself off. He slammed into the ground, though adrenaline kicked in and he ran off. 

Taking a few moments to center himself and get his head in the right space, Dwight patched himself up as much as he could. He wasn’t as good at this as Claudette would be. For now, he had to steady his trembling fingers and do what he could. Another generator chimed in the distance which was a huge sign of hope for Dwight. He finished wrapping his wounds and ran for the door. He threw the switch to open it, not about to leave David behind. They had worked together to do the best they could. They might still make it out of this. David cried out in pain as he was struck. Dwight hid behind a tree, waiting for David. The man was running towards him. Putting himself between the killer and his friend, Dwight was willing and able to take a hit when needed. It never came though as the pair raced through the barrier to safety.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a real game. I still can't believe on a 2v1 against The Doctor, we survived and got out. It was a right miracle and a game I will never forget.


	17. Chapter 17

Corn. It had to be corn. Dwight shook it off as he started to get out of the corn. He ran into Ace immediately, the man holding a tool box. The pair walked off, looking for a generator to work on. This was the goal. Together, they were faster. As they walked, Dwight heard and saw Jake looking through a box. As Dwight started to work on the g generator, Claudette appeared out of the corn. Ace and Jake joined them. It was short lived as Claudette’s fingers slipped and the generator made a horrible sound. Everyone disappeared, save for Dwight. The pounding of his heart overshadowed the other sounds and he was yanked right off the generator by the killer. Struggling, Dwight felt little pieces of metal digging into him on the killer’s shoulder. This killer had bear traps he would set up. The ripping pain of the hook through his shoulder brought him back to the reality of the moment. 

First five minutes of a trial, already on a hook. Dwight was pathetic. The killer set a trap in the grass nearby, clearly hoping to catch someone who wasn’t paying attention. A second trap was placed nearby. Dwight just hung limply on the hook, hope slowly but surely fading away. There was someone coming to save him, though the killer was still nearby. Dwight heard Jake’s cry of pain, the dropping of a pallet, and then he was pulled off the hook. Dwight, briefly stunned, took off. As he did, he heard the Trapper step in his own trap, allowing both Dwight and Jake to run away and hide. Dwight was free and safe, being tended to by Ace who was helping tend his wounds. Jake’s second cry was less promising. 

Dwight followed Ace. Ace searched a chest and Dwight boldly crept into the basement to search that one. Maybe there was something of use. Afterwards, Dwight was going to help Jake. There was a strong feeling of panic coming up and Dwight stopped moving. Was the killer coming back? Running from the basement with a crummy med-kit, Dwight was surprised to see a near perfect med-kit in the box Ace had searched. Dwight switched the kits he had and went to work on the generator. Jake’s body was no longer hanging on the hook that Dwight could see from where he was. Ace was still there and the two got to work on the generator in the broken-down silo. A yelp in the distance started Dwight as Claudette was hit not once but twice. 

Her scream of pain signaled that she was on a hook. The generator roared to life under their hands which was a good start. Dwight and Ace stayed low and out of sight as the killer roamed around. He was hunting for those that had finished the generator. Hopefully Jake would save Claudette. There was no telling though since Dwight couldn’t see her. Kicking over a totem, which took longer than he though to break down, Ace came back over to Dwight. The pair, once more, worked together on a generator. A second generator came to life without much effort. Ace and Dwight were on a roll, though there was still three more that needed to be finished. No one was dead yet, which was good. 

Hiding once more, Dwight watched the Trapper look around in the area, and miss the man entirely. Trees and stacks of hay were helpful cover. Running towards the openness of the field where Dwight had started this trial, he stopped and crouched. The killer was setting a trap nearby between some hay stacks. Keeping his breathing as quiet as possible, the killer finished what he was doing and walked away, passing Dwight entirely. Once he was out of sight, the man stood and walked away. Claudette was hiding behind a tree nearby. Dwight had no idea she was there. Claudette took off in one direction and Dwight, changing his mind on following her, went somewhere else. 

He ran towards a pallet, slowing down only long enough to see if there was a trap set up before he continued on around the silo. The man with glasses looked around carefully, not sure where the killer was now. When he looked back to his left, Claudette had appeared at his side. She started working on the generator with Dwight. She almost caused Dwight to miss a test of the Entity. Out of nowhere, Ace came up on them as well. For as large as this location was, it was a amazing they had run into each other, multiple times. Jake was the only one Dwight had seen only once. 

When the generator came to life, the three disappeared. Claudette and Dwight walked away towards the right. As they continued on, Dwight stopped behind some tires. Claudette was at his side. The killer was nearby and looking for them. Dwight took off and stepped into a locker for a few moments. He had no idea where Claudette went after they moved from the tires. With luck, she would go unnoticed and be fine. Ace also had been nearby and was on the run now. Stepping from the locker, Dwight went straight to a generator. Jake cried out. Dwight couldn’t remember if he knew Jake was injured or not. He hadn’t hardly seen the man the whole time. Another yell, different in octave, was heard. Dwight shook his head, knowing that meant a hook. Ace appeared at Dwight’s side again and then walked away just as quickly. Dwight held strong for a few seconds longer watching the Trapper walk around the hay bales. Dwight took off at a jog, narrowly avoiding the trap on the ground. Ace was struck by the killer, running away to dodge it. Dwight triggered the bear trap, making it safe to be near. Claudette was seen only a moment before she ran away. Perhaps she would save Jake.  
Returning the generator, Ace cried out as he went down. Dwight was patient, working as quickly as he could even as the killer, holding a struggling Ace, came back his way. The gambler struggled and was able to get away from the killer. The generator was finished shortly afterwards. Dwight followed after the killer and Ace, wanting to help the man if he could. The snapping of a trap sent a shiver down the survivor’s back. Someone got caught. Claudette must have been nearby as the sound of the trap releasing and her cry of pain were nearly the same breath. They needed one more generator and they could all get out through a door. Hopefully. 

The final generator was found, and Dwight started to work on it. Ace’s cry of pain wasn’t reassuring at all. Jake was spotted in the distance. There was hope that Jake would help out this situation while Dwight finished the final machine, they needed to get free of this place. As he worked, the man looked around, hoping not to see the killer coming. Another trap snapped closed on someone; this time it sounded like Claudette. Someone set her free, or she did it herself by the following sound not long after. Her freedom wasn’t long lived however. Her cry echoed. Working as quickly as he could, Dwight finished the generator.

Power surged through the doors and briefly caused them to light up. Dwight took off running for one further from where he finished that generator. Another trap snapped, and Ace’s grunt was heard. Now there was going to be two people on hooks and that was bad for them. They were so close! Dwight ran towards his friends, determined to save someone. Ace was saved first, and Dwight was in route to save Claudette when she lost her struggle. Dwight took a moment too long and was cut by the killer on his way. He just missed saving the woman and guilt started to well up. Making a run for the door, Ace got it open seconds before Dwight arrived. Ace raced out, injured as he was. The killer followed though turned around at the last moment and brought his blade down on Dwight. The man hit the ground hard. He was so close to the exit, feet away, and he wouldn’t make it. The killer picked him up. The second hook hurt just as bad as the first one. 

Jake came to Dwight’s rescue. There was no way to thank the man for this. Dwight was hopeful once more that maybe he would be free of this place. Dwight ran, unsuccessfully. The killer, not realizing his hooks were used up around the area, dropped Dwight to the ground. Jake wouldn’t be able to save him now if he came over. More than likely, Jake would leave, and Dwight would be left on the ground. For now, Dwight crawled, ignoring the pain as much as he could. He didn’t even have the strength to try and use the med-kit in his hand. He did, however, bring it with him. It would be too nice to leave behind, if he made it to freedom. 

Crawling was exhausting on the downed man. He kept to the edge as he worked his way towards the door once more. At least his sense of direction hadn’t been compromised when he failed to get away a second time. Jake never showed up to save him, so Dwight was going to have to save himself. He crawled, little by little, back towards the door. The elusive trapdoor was a choice as well, though he had no idea where it could be. The door, he knew where it was. His strength was beginning to fade. Pushing through it, Dwight continued on. The door was insight, however so was the killer. The Trapper was placing his traps all around the door and only partially looking to see if he could spot his prey. Dwight wasn’t sorry he was lazy this time. Laying behind a large rock, Dwight waited for his heart to calm a little before crawling on. He noticed at least two traps in the doorway, though they couldn’t prevent him. They were too far apart. Crawling onward, he made it to safety. Strength slowly returned so he could get to his feet and limp his way back to camp.

Claudette, Ace, and Jake were all impressed he made it. They figured he was going to die. Claudette didn’t blame Dwight for her death. Honestly, it was just positive that three of them had made it out. Ace gave him a pat on the back with a broad smile. Claudette gave him a hug. Jake, just gave a small nod, though the respect was there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epic crawl to freedom. I was sweating bullets and end game chat was literally "omg I can't believe you made it! That was epic!"


End file.
